


Quatervois

by quatervois



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First War with Voldemort, Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-17 02:04:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2292902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quatervois/pseuds/quatervois
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
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</div>It's early 1981, and the Dark Lord is waging war throughout the wizarding community. A journalist for the Daily Prophet, Henrietta “Ettie” Thompsett's life changes drastically after bumping into her former classmate, Iain O’Callahan, when two Death Eaters attempt to capture her.  She and Iain must investigate the mystery behind an old heirloom Ettie has inherited before the Dark Lord attempts to take it himself.
            </blockquote>





	1. One

Ettie Thompsett ran down the steps of the Daily Prophet's building, nearly tripping over her own feet as she rushed down the sidewalk.. The editor had her writing another article on some influential wizard, instead of her usual articles on Quidditch. Ettie wasn’t stupid; She knew these “influential” witches and wizards had some standing in the current social war that had arisen with the Dark Lord rumors. She had decided not to engage in either side of this supposed war, but she couldn’t escape being caught in the middle with her job at the Daily Prophet.

Slowing her pace to a quick trot, she turned down the alley towards her destination: Cobb's and Webs. Its name didn't cause apprehension in Ettie, but its location did. Knockturn Alley was among the few places she made it a point to avoid, a preference she explained to her boss when he assigned her the story. Despite her best attempts at coercion he wouldn’t give the story to someone else. That argument was why she was only left with only 10 minutes to get to the interview.

Her steps made resounding clicks as she walked down the cobblestone path, drawing attention to herself as she passed shadowy figures, but she was determined not to let a few dark characters frighten her off.  After all, she often flew hundreds of feet in the air, dodging bludgers as she interviewed professional Quidditch players. Walking down Knockturn’s barren sidewalks should be a piece of cake, she kept reminding herself.

\- - -

No one could ever say a job in curse breaking was boring. And no one could ever guarantee that any particular curse breaking job would be safe. Iain O’Callahan could testify to that. He’d nearly lost one man and several of the people in his crew were injured. It had taken a rushed portkey back to London and straight to St. Mungo’s to make sure everyone was safe and alive, and Iain was still spinning from the events of the last week.

It was supposed to have been routine. One man at the door, one man for the cover, two men to test the traps, and Iain and a few of the quicker, fitter wizards or witches to work on the actual curses. He wasn’t able to pin what exactly had gone awry. It was why he was made to stay back in London for at least another month. Which was the polar opposite of what he wanted. London was bleak, the sun never seemed to shine as brightly, the buildings all a faded grey. No, Iain had adapted to the Mediterranean sun, bright colours, warm waters, soft winds. It was harder than he’d expected to return.

Not that he’d let on the Ministers at Gringotts.

Iain rubbed his jaw, massaging a dull ache with his thumb. The upside was what he needed to focus on. He could get a few things done while he was back for retraining and testing. He rose from his seat, sticking his hand in his pocket, clasping the paper wrapped object he’d nicked from an ancient site in the Aegean. It would have been curse-broken and logged somewhere if he hadn’t swiped it, but if he sold it, it would be worth quite a bit.

He glanced to his side, where a rhythmic beep came from a parchment being scribbled on by a charmed quill. Everything looked exactly the same as when he’d entered the building an hour earlier.

Iain made his way to the door, glancing back and sighing in frustration and exasperation. There hadn’t been a change all week. He knew it had only been just a few days since they’d returned, but Iain expected at least some positive sign telling him that the man lying on the white bed would wake up and be fine.

He’d stopped in at the rooms of his other colleagues earlier in the week, but everyone was home and fine by now. It was just one person left, the most important to Iain. He held out for a change.

The artifact in his pocket made him speed up his pace though, and in a minute he was out of the hospital and winding down the London streets, weaving through the crowds of people. It took him longer than he’d anticipated, but he’d gotten through to Diagon Alley. His destination was off the path, though, and when he turned into Knockturn Alley the crowd finally seemed to thin out.

He wound his way down the stairs until he saw Borgin and Burkes, but when he moved to get to the door, he stopped, turning slightly and raising a brow. “Thompsett?” He muttered to himself, a look of incredulity etched on his face. He wondered what on earth she was doing down there. Alone. And looking so... harried. He wavered on his feet, not sure if he should avoid her and just slip into the shop or to approach her and wheedle her.

Ettie glanced down at her watch as she walked, noting her early arrival to the bleak alley. She mentally congratulated herself, sarcastically, on walking so quickly out of anxiousness that she managed to arrive early.

She slowed her pace as she walked towards Cobb's and Web's, feeling as though she was being watched. Not that that feeling was an unusual one; she had become accustomed to it whenever she had to make a run to Knockturn. Despite that, it still unnerved her. She glanced around in an effort to calm her nerves and spotted a young man looking directly at her.

She had a vague sense of familiarity, but wasn't sure if this was the time or place to quell her curiosity. She gave him a stern look, before returning her attention to the direction she was walking.

Iain furrowed his brows again, and then when she turned he was certain it was her, especially once she gave him a look. He glanced back at the shop and then decided to make his way across to chat. He took his hands out of his jacket pocket as he reached her, flourishing them as he stop. “Well, Thompsett, fancy meeting you here, of all places.” He smiled.

His tone was insinuating, but he knew she wouldn’t take him seriously. She never had before.

“What exactly are you doing here?” In this part of town. Where she stuck out so completely. He looked her up and down quickly and frowned a little. She could have at least tried a little harder to fit in.

Ettie looked a little shocked at his approaching her, but stopped as he stepped in front of her rather than ignoring him. Now that he was only a few feet from her, she recognized him immediately.

"O'Callahan," she stated, lifting an eyebrow. Her disagreeable tone and soured expression came out of habit.

"I don't see what business it is of yours, but I am here to interview the owner of Cobb and Webb's." Crossing her arms, she gave him a once over, just as he had given her. The only difference she saw in her former classmate was his five o'clock shadow, making him look older than the memory she held of him when they attended Hogwarts together.

Iain basked in her moment of shock, happy to have the slight upper hand. He was surprised with his own happiness that came when he knew she recognized him. She’d left an impression on him since school. He hadn’t thought about her, no, but he realized he hadn’t forgotten her either.

“Ah, so you’re a journalist now?” He noted the information, “Makes sense.” He nodded. “Will it be worth buying a paper for, or a sixth page sidenote?” He inquired, out of general curiosity, but his tone had a mind of his own, and it came out a bit ruder than he’d intended.

Ettle looked properly irked at his inquiry of her article. He had been talking to her for all of, what? Two minutes? And already she felt the urge to smack him. Not that her article would be worth any attention; she wouldn't read about some rich wizard selling what was probably illegal goods.

"Probably a six-page side note," she answered honestly, although her tone kept its bite. "Do you even read the Prophet?"

Admittedly, that was a childish response but Ettie had no ammunition for this sudden apparition of the past. At least if he were an apparition, I could wave him away with no retaliation.

“Well, you see, I’ve been out of the country for a while, so I haven’t kept a subscription up.” He spoke slowly, “But I may be around for bit, so I might start.” He ignored any implications, giving her a big smile.

"What are you even doing here?" She questioned, sounding a bit accusatory.

At her question, he shrugged, looking away. “Can’t a man shop?” He motioned to the shops around. Not exactly typical clothing shops, but they still counted.

She choose to ignore his poor excuse of being in the alleyway. She didn't really wish to know anyway.

“Why are you writing sixth page sidenotes?” He was taken aback,  Ettie always had a competitive edge, a huge go-getter attitude. She was good at getting what she wanted. It was either she wanted to write meaningless stories, in which case he would be upset by the lack of ambition, or she was being a pushover and not asserting herself enough to get a good story. Which was also horrible. Iain had to pause to ask himself why he seemed to care.

"I am writing whatever the editor deems important, and apparently that includes dull pieces on men of respect," she explained, not bothering to hide her sarcasm and obvious disdain for the work she had to do.

All she wanted was to fly around interviewing talented, and rather attractive, quidditch players. Not sinister older men that only held positions of power because of old money and a famous surname.

Pushover. He scowled. “So I see you’ve become less peremptory since Hogwarts. Sad to hear it.” That much was true. But she didn’t seem to be missing any steps with him. Ettie was dishing it out without missing a beat, just as easily as she had in the past. He’d assumed she would have been a sports journalist, if not a Quidditch player herself, from what he remembered at Hogwarts, but seeing her wandering around Knockturn Alley squashed that thought.

However, he noticed her slight irritation with the job, and saw that as a positive. Perhaps she would actually end up getting where she wanted. Again, he mentally asked himself why he seemed to care at all.

Ettie allowed a small smirk to play on her features at his remark about being "less peremptory". "I didn't realize you cared so much about my peremptoriness," she drawled.

“I don’t.” He said, a little too quickly, although he didn’t fail to smile nonetheless. He couldn’t let anything other that smugness show on his face. “You don’t exactly have to care about something to be disappointed in how it turned out.” Iain tried to make it seem as such, though he didn’t quite believe in his words himself. It was harsh of him to say, but at the same time, he didn’t regret it.

“If you knew you would be down here, couldn’t you have dressed the part? Or do you just like drawing unnecessary attention to yourself?”

At his comment, Ettie looked down at her clothing quickly, her face flushed in annoyance and self consciousness. When she returned to gaze to Iain, she glared.

"I'm dressed as I normally dress, which is the part I am playing. The shopkeeper knows he's going to be interviewed, so blending in didn't seem like a problem I should have concerned myself with. Besides," she straightened her posture, "I was running late.” Her cheeks reddened in slight embarrassment.

What shook him out of his thoughts was the reddening of her face, replaced quickly with a glare she probably reserved just for him.

“No time? But here you are, in front of the shop. Am I keeping you from your interview?” He looked around again, the crowd seemed even thinner than before, but he didn’t think twice about it.

"You were keeping me from it, but now I will brush past you without a second glance and move on with my life," she replied, immediately regretting the harsh tone she used. She disliked Iain, but she had not meant for it to sound so bluntly rude, so she added, "As I'm sure you are going to do."

He raised a brow at her words, “Me? Ah, yes, blaming me for your problems. That sounds familiar.” He shook his head. When she finished, he shrugged, “Well good luck, then. Have fun at your interview.” Iain gave her a quick grin and took a few steps back, though he didn’t turn, he waited for her to do that first.

Ettie observed him for another moment, then nodded her head in a goodbye and walked by him towards Cobb and Webb's. She entered the store without so much as a glance to her old classmate, feeling that this was simply a one time encounter. As she walked around the first floor of the shop, the boards behind her heeled feat creaked, making her feel on edge.

The store cluttered with tomes and vials of ingredients she didn’t recognize. Among the shelves a few live specimens that were contained in jars that looked like they hadn’t been opened in decades. There were a few torches on the walls, giving the room an orange glow while creating ominous shadows that flickered on the walls.

"Hello?" She called out, but received no immediate answer. Ettie continued to walk until she heard voices near a back room, regardless of the eerie atmosphere. She approached the door casually not thinking to muffle her footsteps, and tried to overhear the conversation.

"Where is she?" A gruff, albeit calm, voice asked.

"They said they'd send her over today," Another voice replied. Ettie guessed that this was the “influential” wizard, by the refined accent he had.

"Good. Did he say if she had it?" The gruff voice asked. She could hear him pace slowly behind the door, apparently obvious to her presence.

“No, but that’s no surprise. The git is useless when he’s not given specific instructions.” Ettie could nearly hear the sneer on the man’s face.

Deciding she had heard enough, she turned around quickly with the goal to leave the shop altogether, but wound up hitting a large urn that sat next to the door. It toppled over with a loud thud, and Ettie grimaced.

The door opened quickly to reveal whom, she assumed, the gruff voice belonged to.

“There you are. We were wondering when the reporter was going to show up." He smiled, perhaps to seem polite and sincere, but Ettie wasn’t fooled.

She took out her wand to perform a non verbal stun jinx, effectively stunning the man and knocking him back into a well dressed man that stood behind him.

In this moment of befuddlement Ettie raced for the door, nearly getting hit with a spell from the other man who had avoided being toppled by the gruff man.

"You wanted excitement," Ettie chastised herself as she bolted out of the door, the two men close behind her.

\- - -

Iain couldn’t help but to frown when she walked away without a word. Sure, he had been acting like a right prick, but that was the way it was between them. Or, it had been. It didn’t have to be how it was. He’d just... acted how he used to. And then he chastised himself mentally, noting that when presented the opportunity to converse with a former classmate, he’d reverted back to his teenage self.

It was ridiculous.

As she walked away, Iain finally turned and headed to Borgin & Burke’s, brushing past one straggler, and finally noticed how empty the area had become. He shrugged it off, reaching the door, but he heard impact against a door as a flurry of people rushed out.

He turned, eyebrows rising in surprise, after a moment he gathered that Ettie was hastily trying to get away from the shop she’d walked into for an interview... And there were people chasing her. Sighing, he moved forward. He hadn’t thought the situation was very serious, not for Knockturn. Probably a small misunderstanding, but when he took in the raised wands and expression on Ettie’s face he grimaced.

Just as he was nearing her, a jinx brushed past him, scratching at his skin. He froze, mouth open, glaring at the men. And then they aimed again, this time for both of them. He turned quickly to Ettie, “What have you gotten yourself into now?” And ran to keep up with her.

"I didn't- I wasn't my doing!" Ettie exclaimed, running as fast as her legs would allow. Her hand still held her wand but turning around to shoot a spell would only result in her tripping face first. She was shocked to have Iain running next to her, but she wasn't going to complain while two goons were trailing after them.

They were running parallel to Diagon now, a lucky turn, but instead of increasing the distance between them and the men, it was decreasing. Iain swore, pulling Ettie’s arm and then ducking into a short alley, trying to lose them.

She yelped at the sudden turn in direction. "What are you doing? We were nearly at Diagon! The ministry has aurors there," she said, frustrated at her current situation. She heard the men shout nearby, closing in on their whereabouts.

Iain ran a hand through his hair, the other reaching into his pocket and fingering his wand. He didn’t want to pull it out unless he found it absolutely necessary. Turning around right then might have been worse for them both, and he noted the advantage in being the person doing the chasing.

“Would you just... trust me?” He whispered. Ettie nodded mutely, no longer invested in being cross with him. Iain then started winding through the alley, staying quiet. He turned into another, but it was in the opposite direction of Diagon. He knew Knockturn well enough, he was hoping the cronies chasing them didn’t have as much knowledge.

Ettie followed closely behind, feeling lost in the alleys she had never explored. She silently wished she had payed more attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts when she was in school, perhaps then she would have felt so off guard back in the shop.

Iain knew she’d probably been right, there was a lesser chance of being caught had they gotten to Diagon Alley, but he hadn’t wanted to risk being slow enough to be caught. “Catch your breath, and then we can go to Diagon.” He turned away, listening to see if they’d gotten closer.

“Why are they chasing you?” He spoke again, only when he thought they were far enough to not be heard, but he kept his voice low and kept moving.

He knew of a vacant flat, but they would have to get to Diagon to get to the flat, and by taking the alley he had, Iain had put them on the other side of where they needed to be.

"They thought I had something..." She shook her head in frustration. "I’m just a reporter! What could I possibly have that would interest them?" Ettie looked around a bit frantically when she heard the slightest of noise, but it was only a stray cat.

His mind whirled while she spoke. Two men that knew she was supposed to be at an interview at a certain time had waited for her - whichever way that was spun, it still sounded bad. She’d run out when she’d heard that much, so he mentally commended her for that. He had no idea why they would need her, but he spoke. “They don’t exactly look like nice people, so I’d rule out kissograms.” He leaned back against the brick wall. “I think they might be Death Eaters.”

Iain hadn’t seen any mark on their arms - they were too far away, but who else would cause so much trouble? And who could have cleared a shady place like Knockturn. He wondered why they had a need for Ettie.

"How are we going to leave? Will they still want to find me if we get away? Who were they, even?" Ettie questioned, looking around as she tried to think.

He let her ramble, asking questions he couldn’t know the answers to, but after a minute he just shook his head. “Something’s changed. I can’t say what. Perhaps they’re recruiting underlings.” It was a joke, but it just sounded terrible, so he waved, “Ignore that.” It was frustrating, he thought, not having all the answers. Or any answers at all.

Ettie didn't look too shocked, but sighed in discomfort. "Death Eaters?" It almost sounded like a groan. "The Prophet has been doing these articles for months. If the man I was supposed to interview was a Death Eater, then I'd imagine so were all the other men I was sent to. Why change the game now?" She asked, not really expecting Iain to really have any answers.

“Did your interviewee have any connections to the dark lord?” He leaned forward now, craning around a corner to see if the coast was clear. “We’re going to walk, normally, to Diagon Alley.” He started, and turned to check the opposite direction. It seemed clear, but he closed his eyes and tried to listen harder, making sure he hadn’t missed something.

“Where do you live?”

"Wait, maybe they saw me with you!" She suddenly accused, grasping onto any reason for this hide-and-seek game they were playing. "You never said what you were doing here," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Why should she trust him? She suddenly thought. After all, she knew of classmates that joined up in the dark arts. She gripped her wand tightly; she didn't point it at him, but she wasn't willing to let down her guard again.

When she spoke again he turned slowly back to her and just stared for a minute before speaking. “Me? I’ve been back for a week. And I do not mix with those people.” No, he dealt with shopkeepers, who probably met with them afterwards, but he never dealt with Death Eaters himself. He liked to stay out of those kinds of affairs.

“Anyway, they were waiting there for you, prior to me seeing you, I’d think. It’s you they’re after... I’m just tagging along.” He’d nearly said he was there to help, but stopped himself. She lifted her wand, and though she didn’t point it at him, he raised his own hands, which were empty. He still hadn’t taken his own wand out.

“Believe me. I’m not going to hurt you.” It was sincere, and it made him want to cringe. “We can go to Diagon, it seems safe. But I asked you a question... where’s your flat? If they’re waiting there for you, it won’t be safe to return to.”

She watched him carefully but lowered her wand, deciding to trust him… At least for now. She brought a hand to her face to push her hair behind her ear before answering.

"It's near London. I live by muggles, which means if you're correct, they've probably wormed their way into my flat." She exhaled, looking around.  Shouting of the two men could be heard, but it was clear their location was still safe.

"How are we going to get to Diagon? There are probably more of them out there now." She gestured towards the street.

Iain hadn’t thought there were more, but by the ricocheting footsteps, he could tell that she was correct. There probably were more. “Disapparate.” He frowned. It couldn’t be certain that they’d be waiting, and while he wanted to check, it was probably safer to get out of their current location before trying to get anywhere else. “To Gringotts. There’s an empty flat nearby, no one will find you there.” He nodded.

“You go first, I’ll wait a second to see if they follow the sound. I can take them further in and then I’ll head over to Diagon. You’ll have to wait for me there, though.” He paused. “Unless you’d rather we stick together.” He couldn’t tell. He was surprised she’d stayed with him this long, really.

For all he knew, more Death Eaters were disguised and roaming through Diagon.

"Why hadn't I thought of disapparation?" Ettie exclaimed quietly.

Clearly she was feeling frazzled, no matter how well she was holding it together. Hell, the was the most exciting, and dangerous, situation she had ever been in. And that’s including the time a rogue bludger went after her at the world cup during a storm two years back.

"Why don't we both disapparate? They may hear the crack, come running this way, but we'll be gone," she offered, not bothering to question his knowledge of a vacant flat. Why he should stay back while she made her getaway didn't strike her as sensible given the options. Besides, having a former classmate she didn't particularly like get kidnapped on her account just seemed foolhardy.

Iain thought it was sensible, what she was saying. He tried to remember if there was any way to trace someone’s apparations, but nothing came to mind. Just moments ago they’d parted without plans to see each other again, now they were running together. It seemed such an odd circumstance. “On three, then, if you will.” He held out his hand, “I know the place, just take my hand.” At that moment he heard footsteps again, but this time closer.

He moved closer, but he still waited for her hand. The previous warning would be discarded, now, as they were getting too close. He focused on where they needed to be, and would go as soon as she grabbed on.

“Quickly, now.”

Without a second thought she placed her hand into his.

 


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ettie and Iain escape to Iain's flat and discuss what happened at Cobb and Webb's.

The world around them spun instantly, which should have made a traveler sick, but Ettie had gotten used to it during her years after Hogwarts. That wasn’t to say she didn't prefer flying, because she did. Much more than any other forms of magical travel. At least she could control a broom.

Iain was never quite fond of the feeling he got while apparating, but it beat the feeling of portkeys. He might have gotten accustomed to them, but he never looked forward to using them. Realistically, he prefered conventional means, walking, flying, running. Easy things. But he couldn’t control certain situations, and had to live with what was doled out.

Once they landed, Iain let go of Ettie’s hand and rushed to the window overlooking Diagon and pulled the drapes in, covering the window. He peeked through, looking for signs of a search, but couldn’t see anything outright suspicious. Finally, he took a deep breath and relaxed a little. “Doesn’t look like they’ve sent a search party out. But I wouldn’t go home anytime soon.” He shrugged.

The flat was empty, a few chairs and a table sat neglected in a corner, and he pulled a stool closer to the window and sat on it.

"Do you think they'll search Diagon? I can't see myself being that important to whatever it is they were planning," Ettie asked. She felt flushed, but she blamed it on adrenaline and the disapparation.

She quickly pocketed her wand and walked over to what she surmised was the bathroom. When she looked at her reflection she felt she finally understood the meaning of frazzled. Her dark, shoulder length hair was blown in every direction, making her look like she had just flown a lap around a quidditch field.

“You can’t know if you’re important or not unless you know exactly what they’re planning, though.” He was looking out the window again. “Have you got someone to stay with in the meanwhile?” He looked over at her.

Hearing his question from inside the bathroom she replied, "Not really. Mum and Dad are off on some cruise of some sort, Merlin knows why. The weather is ridiculous this time of year," she trailed off, focused on taming her hair.

She felt oddly safe in this flat. Almost as if the Death Eaters would never find them, though Ettie knew not let herself become complacent. The last thing she needed to do was let her guard down and get herself hurt in the process.

"I imagine they would have looked up my family anyway," she sighed, as she returned to the main room of the flat. She looked at Iain skeptically, trying to decipher his character. After their initial conversation he wasn't acting quite as she remembered him.

“You should probably be grateful, then.” He said, quietly. If they had researched her family, they were probably better off far away rather than here. Where a myriad of odd things were happening, one after the other. He took a deep breath again, rubbing his eyes, it was a bit tiring, running from people.

He glanced around again, trying to remember where everything was in the flat, and what was actually lying about. Aside from the tables and chairs, there was a box with books in the closet, the rooms still had their beds, a phonograph was lying around somewhere with a box of records. He stood, walking around a small corner, searching for it.

“I suppose you can stay here.” He said, muffled as he bent down into a cabinet to pull out the box of records. He’d unshelved everything and boxed it, but that seemed like it had been a bad idea now. “It’s a bit bare, though.” Iain stopped, thinking over how much a room at the Leaky Cauldron was for a night.

"No, no," Ettie immediately replied. "I'll just go stay in a discreet muggle hotel. I've already interrupted your day long enough." Staying here was an option, but she still had her doubts about Iain. She smoothed her hands over her pants in an attempt to smooth them out, but to no avail.

He didn’t know whether to be relieved or affronted by her reply, but he nodded along, reentering the front room with the box. “That’s fine. I was going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron...” He trailed off. It didn’t matter. “There has been quite enough excitement for one day.” He shrugged, putting the box down and fishing through the stash. “Do you need me to go with you?”

As assurance that she’d be safe. He wondered why now it seemed like he felt slightly responsible for her safety. It was a silly thought. He hoped he appeared, by not looking up, to not care too much about the situation.

It was then that the bracelet in his pocket came to mind. He’d have to figure out what to do with it now, since returning to Knockturn was out of the question for the foreseeable future. It would probably be more convenient once she was out of his hair.

"I'm sure you have more important matters to attend to, like showing off and rescuing other damsels in distress. Not that I was in distress. I clearly had a handle on the situation," Ettie said, retorting to her normal banter. "Also, you call this a flat?"

Playful banter was easier than talking to Iain about what just happened.

When she spoke again, he turned to her and stared. How she was able to keep a straight face was beyond him. “Showing off?” He hadn’t even shown off, but he rolled his eyes nonetheless. “No, no, you’re the only damsel I’ve rescued as of late. It doesn’t mesh too well with the reputation.” He went back to his records, finally pulling one out and placing it on the phonograph.

“It’s one of the smaller ones, yes.”

"Small here meaning completely empty of any personal items?" She questioned, looking around once more. The music from the record began to play, resonating in the room with a pleasant echo. She check her wrist for the time, and found only an hour had passed since she had walked into Cobb and Webb's. This unimpressed her.

“Small meaning lacking in space. I don’t spend much time here, so it’s quite modest.” Iain pulled off his coat, draping it over of the chairs at the table, he took out his wand and waved it at the lamps around the room. He felt hours had passed since he’d left St. Mungos, and while it was getting darker out, it didn’t seem as late as he anticipated.

"You mentioned this is near Gringotts?" She asked suddenly, realizing it would best if she knew where she was. She walked away from the door towards the windows, taking the answer into her own hands, pulling the curtains open carefully and looking out. No suspicious activity lurking on the streets, that was a good sign.

“Yes,” He responded, though she’d already walked to the window, Gringotts would be right down the Alley. “Easily accessible workplace.” He added. “Do you want tea?” That he had. He marched into the kitchen, opening cabinets for the kettle and the leaves.

He wondered if she was wary to leave after the events of the day. If she was, he couldn’t blame her. It was a harrowing experience and he’d barely been involved.

Ettie pushed the curtains back into place. "Tea," she said with longing. "Perhaps one cup, then I'll be on my way,"' she decided, walking towards the kitchen area. She grabbed a stool and hopped up on it, rather ungracefully.

“As you wish.” Iain placed two green mugs beside the fire where the kettle was heating. He’d thought she’d just dismiss herself, hurrying off to her hotel before it got dark out. Instead, she seated herself on a stool in the kitchen. He sat down himself, pulling another from beside the counter, so he wasn’t seated beside her, but almost across from her.

"Why are you being so polite?" She asked. "As I remember you tore the mickey out of me whenever we spoke." She swiveled atop the stool and tapped her fingertips on the countertop to exert what nervous energy she had left.

“Would you rather I was impolite?” He raised a brow, and then shrugged. “It’s been a long day, come back tomorrow and we can resume our normal bickering.” He remembered her being equally as aggressive, if not occasionally more, particularly if he mentioned her Quidditch skills.

She breathed a laugh at his reply. "No, I don't think I shall," she replied cheekily. "I've had enough excitement today to last me another couple weeks, thank you. I don't need a banter partner." She inwardly cringed at the term “banter partner.” Not one of her most witty moments.

“Well, now you know where I live... the offer stands.” He joked, “You may change your mind.” Iain poured the boiling water into both cups, sliding one over to Ettie before handling his own.

Ettle looked amused. "I'll try and remember that the next time I need a good go at someone." She rolled her eyes at the idea, still smiling. She drank her tea graciously, welcoming the warm and calming feeling the tea spread through her. She let a resonating sound of satisfaction escape her lips. She brought the cup to her lap, holding it with both hands.

Iain spared a smile when she took a sip, it seemed like she might have finally calmed a bit from the events of the evening. The content sigh said as much. Iain drank some of his own tea, and relaxed more himself. He put the cup down and stretched a bit, his head tilting sideways as he did. It was nice, really, having a place so close. It was always, at least, very convenient. But he never liked to spend much time there, because it meant that he wasn’t elsewhere in the world.

Iain loved travelling and working, which had been a sore spot with his family. The latter, really, given his career choice. His father had been somewhat thrilled that he’d chosen to work for Gringotts, but Iain had withheld the actual occupation until the last moment. He was so nearly estranged from his family right then, but luckily enough, they weren’t so radical as many others.

After a few moments of companionable silence, Ettie hopped off the stool, taking another drink of the tea before brushing past him to put the cup in the sink. "Thank you for the tea, and for helping me back there," she said, sounding a bit tentative.

She moved to return her cup and he followed her movements with his eyes, not feeling too inclined to move himself. “It was nothing.” He replied simply. “Try and stay out of trouble in the future, though.”

"Believe it or not, trouble generally does not follow me about," she continued, heading towards the door once more. Her heels clicked pleasantly with the current tune that filled the room.

Iain couldn’t help but to smile cheekily at her words. She wanted him polite, but she still didn’t mind dishing it out as much as she wanted. She amused him and surprised him in turns. At the ‘believe it or not’, he raised his brows, signalling that he in fact, did not completely believe her.

She opened the front door, "You might want to think about getting some proper furniture in here. Stools are hardly comfortable." She smirked at him, before walking out the door and closing it behind her.

“If I have furniture,” He started, “Then I’d actually be tempted to stay here.” Which was probably happening. At least for a month, or however long the retesting took. And until his entire crew was well again. He knew he wouldn’t leave until then. He didn’t know if she’d heard him, though, as the door was being closed. Iain took a breath. He could figure out what to do with the artifacts now. Instead, he stood quickly and made for the door himself.

“Do me a favour, hm?” He poked his head over the railing to the stairs, and she was still close enough to hear. “Send me an owl when you get there, so I know you’re safe.” He paused for a beat before turning and heading back inside. Once there, he let out a deep breath.

She raised an eyebrow at his last words, but took note to do so. As she walked onto the streets of Diagon Alley, everything felt calm. Not many people were out shopping, but it wasn't too unusual given the threats the magical realm was faced with. Deciding upon a hotel she had once stayed in when she visited London as a newly legal teen, she walked with purpose.

After a ten minute walk, she finally reached her destination and quickly booked a room. No obstacles appeared, and she thanked Merlin for it. Once she entered the small hotel room, she plopped ungracefully on the bed, exhaling in relief. She allowed herself a few moments of calm, before sitting up and taking the hotel notepad to write her letter to Iain.

It was a simple note that read, "Made it. No sign of muscular foes. Thanks again, Ettie." She imagined this would suffice for his worried mind.

She opened the balcony doors of the hotel and whistled at an owl that perched nearby. She folded the paper, wrote his name on the outside, and handed the paper to the owl. The bird chirped before taking the letter, and flew off without a second glance.

 


	3. Three

Time was a mistress that moved too slowly for Iain, in England. It passed slowly, and he could sometimes lose the hour in the constant sameness of the light. He had a problem, he noticed, after a day or two. He couldn’t help himself but to compare England to everywhere else he had been. He wondered then if he’d ended up running away, in a sense, from all that England was and made a home far away from what he had known. And now, what he had known was unfamiliar to him.

But then he thought he was overthinking it.

He had plenty of free time. Gringotts and the Goblins occupied few hours in his day, and he never spent longer than necessary at St. Mungos. Listening to rhythmic beeping and hoping silently for something to change made time slow down to an unbearable pace.

In boredom, he’d walked through Diagon more times than he could count. In and out of robe shops, quidditch stores, and book stores. He’d even bought enough items to fill in some of the empty space in his flat. The beds, he’d replaced almost immediately, the shelves he’d started restocking; filing them with authors, leaving the middle shelves open for trinkets, and the lower shelves for his organized records.

He’d received three owls, so far. He’d been expecting Ettie’s, and had been relieved to get it. She’d settled in at some muggle hotel, and had assured him that she was safe. In that sarcastic Ettie way. The second had been from his mother, but he’d placed that in a drawer in his room, unopened. The third was the dates and times he was to show up at Gringotts for reviews and testings and whatnot.

Iain wanted to shudder at the monotony and boredom that seemed to plague him, but he shook off the feeling instead. It wasn’t like him to be so... low. And in thinking it, he grew frustrated.

He’d been in the Pub, but now he placed his coins on the counter and collected his coat. No need to sit and idly mull over his lack of activity. It was about time Iain did something that actually made the clock move.

\- - -

After the failed “interview” at Cobb and Webb’s Ettie kept her wits about her when leaving the hotel, which she did not leave all that often. Fortunately, at least thus far, she had no sign of any dark characters walking nearby, nor did she hear any news of Death Eater attacks. However, the lack of news worried her. It seemed that perhaps their power over the Prophet may be larger than she had anticipated.

Speaking of the Prophet, not one of her colleagues had bothered to write her to ask where she had been, though she suspected it was partially due to the lack of friendships she had created there. Ettie wasn't interested in any of those people, but looking back now she regretted her attitude. If she had been friendly, perhaps they would have attempted to search for her. Then again, perhaps they just didn’t realize she had gone.

She didn't know quite what to think anymore.

She also had not heard from Iain which was slightly troubling, but she tried to pay no mind to it. After all, he had only asked for a note to ensure her safety, not to chat about quidditch scores. She allowed any lingering thoughts of the run-in to fade as she focused on what she must do now.

After the third night spent at the hotel, Ettie decided that enough was enough and turned in her hotel key. She couldn't hide away forever, plus the solitude was wearing her down. She longed for her flat where she had a decent mattress and a change of clothes, not to mention fresh food. Cooking for herself would be a treat after the bland, albeit filling, meals the hotel provided.

As she stepped onto the streets of London she decided that her first venture was to play her boss a visit. She did not intend to quit, but oh did she have some words for him about that “meeting”. If she wasn't able to snag a quidditch interview after that mishap there would be hell to pay. Or he could fire her. Either way, it seemed like a relatively good way to exert the frustration that bubbled within her.

She walked towards the alleyway to enter Diagon, where the Prophet was located and  pressed down her white collared shirt that she had recently purchased at muggle store. It irritated her skin with it's rough texture, but she couldn't stand the shirt she had worn to the hotel after wearing it for two days. Even with washing it, she desired to change at least one part of her clothing before arriving home where a large wardrobe stood waiting for her. She held her purse in one hand, which had her wand, her shirt, and the untouched notepad that had intended to use when interviewing the swine that planned to kidnap her inside. Not much to keep one entertained when hiding out.

Allowing her fury to energize her, she rounded a corner sharply into a small alley away that ended with a brick wall. Taking out her wand she tapped the stones she knew would open the entryway, and continued to walk towards her job.

If not granted a quidditch piece, she would demand pay for her troubles. Perhaps she would jinx him; it's not that she held any fondness for the man. She shook her head, attempting to clear her mind. Acting like a 7th year scorned would not gain any results in her “grown up” job.

She took a deep breath, taking smaller strides. She tried to wipe away the image of turning her boss into a beetle with thoughts of returning to her flat. She would make herself a big bowl of pasta, watch telé, and attempt to relax. Her thoughts then drifted to the memory of Iain's records echoing pleasantly around his flat. The audio played in her mind as she walked through a busy Diagon Alley.

The closer she got to the Prophet's headquarters, the more doubt fogged her mind. Having calmed her fury, she wasn't sure if she was still in the mindset to tell off her boss. However, when she caught a glimpse of her reflection on a nearby store window, she frowned. Her reflection looked tired, very tired. She ought to fight for paid leave to recuperate from the trauma of nearly being kidnapped, at the very least.

\- - -

Outside of Diagon, and in the city of London, Iain took a deep breath and stopped where he stood. He’d been foolish, he realized, to stay in only the Alley. Around him, albeit somewhat rudely, people were bustling about and carrying on with their days to such an extent, it made Iain feel as though he himself had much to do. Like... actually walk forward. He’d paused longer than he’d He’d paused longer than he’d needed too, but rectified it immediately by hastening his pace.

It was then he thought again to Ettie. He’d received her owl, but that had been days ago. He could have returned her message or asked if she were okay a few days later, but he hadn’t. He’d tried to get himself to shake her out of his thoughts, but she just stayed there, jammed between his happier thoughts.

Had he thought sooner, he could have figured out where she was. Which worried him, because aside from asking and having her respond, there were ways to track her via owl correspondence. He’d been far too dense to think of that. Was Ettie as safe as he’d let himself think? (He was walking even faster now.)

She could have been found, from the moment she’d sent the owl to now. She could have been traced by any number of spells using any number of personal things she kept at home. Assuming they had ransacked her home. He thought at least that was worth looking into.

Iain rounded a corner. He didn’t know exactly what destination he had in mind, but his feet seemed to be leading him somewhere, so he let them wander.

On an odd yet optimistic note, he wondered if maybe Ettie had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or that everything had been an enormously huge misunderstanding. She’d mentioned not having the highest of positions at the Prophet, so it couldn’t be so personal. He hoped. Kind of.

It took moments, and his feet had led him easily back to where he had started. He wanted to remark on the time wasted, but time was what Iain had left to squander. He’d spent his time split between several things. He used his music as his guide in trying to fix his flat. The furniture that he’d brought in had helped, but it was more than that. He’d boxed, stored, or given away most of the things he’d owned prior to extensive work.

And anything else that could be called his was probably in his parent’s manor. He wouldn’t have been surprised to walk into the house and find that everything was where he’d left it.

He wanted something, he realized, once he’d made it back to the shops lining diagon. It would have been easier to find in the London shops, but Iain was a cautious buyer, and rarely bought possessions after one visit. The one thing he never hesitated with was records. It wasn’t what he was looking for, but Iain thought it was a good enough time to go looking for more.

Iain merely browsed through Diagon, looking to see if anything through the windows would pique his interests.

There weren’t many music shops in Diagon, but the movement around him made him feel at home. He liked crowds, mostly at that moment because although there were so many people surrounding him, he felt as if he had the utmost privacy. It was almost lonely, but where that would be taken negatively, Iain thought of the solitude more as peaceful.

Over the years, Iain had separated himself without completely noticing. He’d been put in a house that his family hadn’t expected or really wanted, which caused him minor grief. He’d taken an “unacceptable” career, hadn’t moved back into the manor, didn’t seem to show proper pureblood heir qualities... and people constantly questioned his loyalties.

It was a question that came up more and more, which gave Iain more and more reasons to stay away from England. Why was choosing a side in what seemed to be a coming war necessary? Why was he pressured more than others simply because of his blood status? It all seemed far too complicated to him.

\- - -

Ettie's confrontation with her boss hadn't gone as planned, as one may suspect. Not only did he seem indifferent to her absence, he saw no reason to give her paid leave or send her to the sports section, despite Quidditch being the only reason she joined the paper. Nor did he fire her, which just frustrated her more.

She stormed out the Prophet's headquarters, wondering what the point of that whole exchange was. She didn't fear the loss of her job. At this point, all she was worried about was another possible attack. She hoped that perhaps it was all some misunderstanding, seeing as she was left undisturbed at the hotel for so long. If they truly needed to find her, it wouldn’t have been too difficult.

As she walked down the main street of Diagon, she spotted a familiar head of dark hair. She was briefly surprised, as she had not run into him before when she had been working all these years at the Prophet, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, she decided surprising him would entertain her, as would the verbal sparring she imagined would ensue. She needed a figurative punching bag, and she knew he would keep her on her toes. As she approached him, he seemed unaware of her.

"Fancy meeting you here," she said, stopping beside him at one of the shops' display windows. Her tone was immediately playful.

Snapping him out of his reverie was an unexpected voice, and Iain turned toward her, eyebrow raised ever so slightly. “Ah, are you stalking me?” Iain drew out the words slowly, his mind turned to his relief at seeing her. She was fine.

"Hardly," Ettie scoffed with a smile, looking ahead to the shop's display. It was a music store, which didn't surprise her after her brief visit to his flat. Iain seemed to enjoy music far more than having furniture. Admittedly, she found it sort of poetic. She turned her head slightly to look at him.

"I was just at the Prophet, and on my way home, when I spotted you," she explained. "I thought I'd snatch the opportunity to bother you while the world seems fit to throw us in the same place and time."

She was curious as to why that was. Though it had only been two times that they had run into each other. Merely a coincidence, and hardly worth noting. Perhaps her intrigue was due to the fact that most of her classmates had mysteriously disappeared while the war silently raged. She knew some had joined in some relation against Voldemort, but she was never asked, nor was she adept enough to offer any real help. However, that excuse didn't always reassure her that her decision to lead a "normal" life was the right choice.  She let those thoughts float away, keeping her attention at the happenings around her.

Iain crossed his arms subconsciously, part of him feeling as though he’d be caught with his guard down. It bothered him slightly, but he couldn’t figure out why. He felt as though he’d been at peace, in his element, briefly before she’d come. And she was relieved to see him. He wondered if it was just having several conflicting emotions at once was the problem. Or if it was just that Ettie coming along hadn’t been quite so bothersome after all. Iain pegged it to conflicting emotions, but brushed off all his notions as he moved.

“How did that go?” He nodded in the direction of the prophet, as she looked to the shop that he’d been standing near. She mentioned that she was headed home, then, and he furrowed his brows. He ticked through his thoughts, wondering if it would be smart or safe. But Iain thought, even if it wasn’t completely safe, it was a frustrating concept to try and keep away from your own home.

Iain smiled, “Couldn’t resist a jab. You’ve hardly changed at all.” The crowd around them seemed to just flow around them, as though they’d become like a stationary rock in a river. He moved back some, closer to the shop door, but further out of the way of the people. Iain wondered if she’d object to him coming along, just to make sure there were no surprises when she got home.

Ettie gave a frustrated sigh as he asked about the Prophet. "As well as I thought it would," she replied, not divulging the details. She doubted he wanted to hear the story, plus it wasn't much of a tale. She basically learned nothing, other than her boss was a prick and a half. She mentally reminded herself to purchase a punching bag for her home and tape his face on it; that would certainly aid in releasing tension.

Iain nodded slightly at her sigh, before he even heard what she had to say. It didn’t sound all that wonderful, and he respected that she didn’t want to go into details. Especially with him. For a moment, he thought of the pair of them meeting yet again, actually conversing. It was strange, after so many years, how they’d fallen into the pattern of verbal sparring. Iain couldn’t say that it was unpleasant, though, and that was most surprising.

"Verbal sparring is one of my specialties. I wouldn't dare give it up," she smirked, one of her eyebrows quirking up in amusement. "So, what brings you to the finer side of the wizarding market? Can't say I've seen you wondering about while I was running interviews before last week." She was feeling very lighthearted suddenly, considering the past few days, but she was reveling in it. Better to be carefree than allowing herself to wallow in fear, which was probably why she was so keen to anger her boss. Denying herself the proper reaction to her situation probably wasn't the best plan, but she had time to wallow once she returned home.

She would allow herself a few days of curling up on the couch, reading or knitting while poor television played in the background. Perhaps she would get a cat. Why don’t I already have a cat? She wondered silently. A shopper walked past her closely, bringing her out of her inner thoughts. She looked to Iain as she awaited his reply, moving so her back was to the window, allowing more space for people to pass.

Iain let out a laugh, shaking his head. “You have a talent, I won’t deny it.” At her question, he inhaled deeply, “I don’t usually work - or live, really - here. We had an incident, so I’m back for a while because of it.” He didn’t mind telling her, it was just probably not that pleasant to hear about.

Ettie observed him as he explained his presence in town. "That would explain your bare flat," she said, mostly for her benefit. She thought perhaps he was one of those minimalists, especially with his record player. Not that being one was a bad thing, but it just didn't quite fit who she imagined he was. Now, constantly traveling sounded more like the person she thought of.

“Hm, you noticed that?” He cocked his head to the side, joking. “It was quite sparse prior to leaving. I don’t keep many things.” He hadn’t needed to say so, but did anyway. It was easier to move about when you didn’t have many things to move with. That flat particularly, as he owned it chiefly for convenience.

“You’ll just have to get used to seeing me around until I disappear once more.” She moved closer to the shop, and Iain took it in, looking around to figure out the distance from it to his flat. “You said you were heading home...?”

She uncrossed her arms, glancing in the direction of her flat as he mentioned her plans. "Yes," she let out a relieved sigh. "I couldn't stand another night in a hotel, and since nothing has happened since that interview, I figure I can finally return."

She had an inkling he was still worried about what occurred last time they met, and she found the idea of his concern comforting. At least someone in the damn town was concerned that supposed Death Eaters were kidnapping innocent reporters.

“I think it’d be best if I came with you, just to make sure it’s okay. I don’t want to intrude, but it’s reasonable.” Iain asserted, without much hesitation. Ettie wasn’t like a box marked fragile or handle with care. The necessity to go home was indicative of that, and her overall behaviour over the past few days, let alone as long as he’d known her was too. He wasn’t about to treat her like she needed her hand held to head home. Iain spoke as he did because he wanted her to know he thought it was important to go, and he was sure he wouldn’t have invited him along otherwise.

Iain raked a hand through his hair, “And if all is well, I’ll leave you be.” Verbal sparring? It was starting to feel like a foreign concept. He hadn’t made a quip, his concern overshadowed it.

She narrowed her eyes at him as she offered to accompany her, but her expression remained playful. She found his use of the term "reasonable" to be humorous, but didn't say so. At the best of times Ettie was reasonable… Well, at the best of times. However,  she did know little about who attempted to kidnap her, so perhaps arriving home with another person wasn't a terrible idea.

"If you wish," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't think there will be any trouble, but as they say "better safe than sorry". We both know I'm not very good at saying sorry." Admittedly, she had gotten better about admitting she was wrong, but she never found pleasure in it.

She often made it a point not to admit defeat around Iain and his friends while they attended Hogwarts, while he made it a point to point out her mistakes. It was always done in jest, and helped Ettie loosen up. She had been a bit of a stiff when she was enrolled in school.

“And I would agree with that,” He waved his finger upon hearing ‘better safe than sorry’. It was something he was used to hearing. Better safe to add a few layers of protective spells or memorize counter jinxes or have healers on hand than be sorry. He used to roll his eyes when he was told this, but after a few years he’d gotten to understand the mantra was important.

“It’s true, you know.” He added, a minute after, but more as a side-comment. And then he grinned, “No, you’re not.” Iain agreed wholeheartedly with that, but she could easily say the same about him.

"Anyway," she continued, "my flat is just a few blocks from here." She pointed in the direction casually.

Iain looked towards where she was pointing, but it was more of a direction than an actual place. He gestured for her to lead the way, “After you, then.”

Ettie nodded, and began walking towards the end of Diagon where the streets of London lay. She looked about subtly looking around for any familiar faces; she hadn't seen either one of the men she saw speaking about her behind Cobb & Webb's that day, but now that she was back in town she was suspicious of her surroundings. Her outward appearance would not give this away; she was saving all that for when she was alone and able to take her frustrations out in a quiet contained part of her flat. She needed to practice defense maneuvers anyway.

Out of curiosity she asked, "You haven't seen those men from the other day have you?" She figured he would have told her if he had, but walking in silence around all the shoppers was uncomfortable for Ettie. They neared the pub that lead to the muggle streets of London, where it was significantly less occupied.

Following Ettie, Iain felt a sense of deja vu, he wanted to pinch himself to break the feeling, but it carried. In an instant, he felt like he was fifteen again, teasing Ettie to get her to ease up. Luckily, she spoke, and it pulled Iain out of the memory.

“No, I haven’t, I haven’t been walking around the streets much. I was in London today, at Mungo’s.” It was, he thought, not in the same direction as her flat. But he honestly hadn’t thought to actively look out for suspicious figures. He hadn’t seen their faces, as he thought Ettie had. He had footsteps and blurred, running figures to go off of, and he probably wouldn’t be all that able to pick the men out of a crowd.

He wondered if they’d have taken any interest in him, but then thought not.

"Oh," Ettie said expressionless, opening the pub's back door. She walked in, holding the open for Iain as he followed. "Why were you at Mungo's?" She asked before adding, "Not that you need to answer." She kept her eyes trained ahead of her, wandering over the muggles and wizards that mingled in the pub. Everyone in the pub seemed oblivious to their enter and exit of the establishment.

Outside, the traffic passed by loudly. Ettie idly wondered if there was a silencing charm that surrounded Diagon so no sound would go in or out. The walls in the pub couldn't be that thick.

It reminded her of how she learned the silencing charm. In the Girls' Dormitories, a few of the older girls had taught her and her roommates the charm in so that the head of house wouldn't catch them up past curfew. Ettie also knew this charm was among the favorites of the more… adventurous couples in the castle.

Iain looked up at Ettie when she asked him why he’d been to the hospital, and when he took a breath, she spoke again. He exhaled, frowning slightly, and stayed quiet for a few more moments and they walked through the pub.

“Visiting my mate.” Iain was bothered by his lack of ability to keep a straight face while saying that, and was glad his face was down. “Not that it seems very fruitful at this point...” He trailed off, paused a second, and then cleared his throat. “What have you been doing in that hotel for the last few days? I can’t imagine you stuck in the confines of a room for more than a few hours comfortably.”

The loud sounds of London streets seemed to clear his thoughts more, and he moved forward to walk beside her, holding his head higher and staring straight ahead.

Ettie let her explanation fade, not wishing to pry. Though her thoughts ran in multiple directions, imagining the worst. At his question, she openly laughed, shaking her head slightly. "I took too many showers, watched too much television, and occasionally sat out on the room's balcony," Ettie answered, and Iain looked up, smiling.

"I did manage to entertain myself by listening and silencing the neighbors every so often." She turned her head to give him a knowing look as she told him the story, "Pretty sure they were newlyweds."

Once she got to newlyweds, Iain let out a heavy laugh.

“Not something I would expect you to say, really.” Then again, he couldn’t call Ettie completely predictable. If she’d actually been so, Iain would have been bored by her company long ago. Iain looked up at the building, and paused, it didn’t look like anyone was hovering around waiting for her, which seemed like a good sign.

They crossed the street, and Ettie took a sharp left turn as she neared her complex. "This is it. Flat, sweet, fat." She smiled involuntarily as she thought of the prospect of plopping down on her couch.

The wind howled past, and Iain looked up to the sky to take in the weather. He still hadn’t readjusted to the weather. He wasn’t used to so much grey, and he’d conditioned himself to blues and golds. As the cold cut through his thin jacket, Iain stuck his hands deep into the pockets and tried to cross his clenched fists in them.

She’d smiled so genuinely when they’d arrived, he made a silent prayer everything was fine and she’d be able to settle in happily.

As Ettie walked up to the main door of her building she asked, "And what would you expect?" She felt at ease now that she arrived and there was no sign of those thugs, or any fight in general. In truth, she should have let her logic take over and remind her of magic. The men could have bewitched the doorman and the rest of the muggles in this building. Looking for a sign of a struggle or fight would be useless. She pushed those thoughts aside, desperately wanting the truth to be that she was safe from whomever it was that ambushed her.

“Most of it, up until the listening in on the neighbours.” He shrugged, pulling his hand free of his pocket to brush through his hair. “Then again, I can’t really say I know you, can I?” He raised his brows, but then smiled. Time had passed, yes, people did change, but more often than not, people were, at the core, the same.

“Do you want me to go up with you, make sure it’s all clear?” It was more a formality than an actual question, but Iain didn’t want to be completely intrusive.

Ettie pushed the elevator button eagerly, tapping it a few more times before crossing her arms as she waited for the doors to open. As Iain spoke, she shrugged. "Sure. After all, you showed me yours, might as well show you mine." She smirked as the elevator doors opened with a ding.

Iain moved forward once more, and once the elevator came down, and they both walked in, he braced against the far side.

At her words, he raised a brow, almost speechless.

The shocked, albeit barely there, expression on Iain's face pleased Ettie. She pressed the number of her floor, and crossed off "verbal sparring" off her list of things she was to do today. She hadn't expected the lack of response, but she took it as a small victory.

Iain hadn’t intended to not say a word, but he could have created a list of things she’d said just that day that had surprised him. No, predictable didn’t fit at all. Once they’d reached her floor, Iain moved forward and out of the elevator. As she opened the door, Iain briefly glanced around the hall, trying to keep the cautious mindset.

The elevator arrived at her floor quickly; She stepped into the hallway, and lead Iain to her flat door and unlocked it. When she attempted to open the door, it became stuck on something on the ground. Pushing it open, she revealed utter chaos. Upturned furniture, broken glass and various items covered the floor. Ettie dropped her arms to her sides, and walked inside, feeling utterly defeated.

"Really?" She asked, mostly to herself, as she assessed the damage. What the hell made me so important to these people?

He turned back just as Ettie was trying to push through the door, and once she did he walked in quickly behind her, fingering his wand and muttering a curse under his breath.

Iain gave Ettie a look before he walked through the flat, trying to avoid broken glass, and pulled out his wand. He didn’t expect anyone to still be there, but he was just covering all the bases. He pushed open a few closed doors, but didn’t see any sign of someone still around. Pocketing his wand once more, Iain walked back to Ettie and faced her.

“No one’s here...” He stated the obvious, “I’m sorry about this.” He glanced around once more. “I think it’s time to call in the Aurors.”

Ettie brought a hand up to her face, rubbing her brow as she stood in the middle of her living room. She gave a tired sigh and nodded her head to what Iain had said.

"This is ridiculous," she announced, taking out her wand and repairing the glass that lay across the floor. Once the glass was cleaned up, she threw her bag on the upturned sofa that sat a few feet from her.

"I don't understand what they were looking for. I have no ties to anyone, or anything that would place me in odds with the Death Eaters." She said their name with disdain and mockery.

She sighed once more, and walked to the kitchen part of her flat. It was open, adjacent to the living room. She opened her fridge to grab anything to drink but it was also a mess. She then decided to settle on a glass of water from the tap. She took a drink, leaning on her counter looking around the room once more. At least she didn't have a cat. That would have been more than she could take, seeing death in her flat.

“It has to be something bigger than you, not saying you’re not important. But,” He shook his head, trying to think it over. “If they are trying to find you, and you aren’t the most important or whatever they still obviously have a plan.”

Now he was just rambling, but what made sense in his mind was hard to articulate and didn’t come out properly. “Perhaps if they’re targeting you, they’re also targeting people like you.” At least that made some sense. But how could it be going so unnoticed in that case.

The Death Eaters, or whatever they’d taken to calling themselves, rarely seemed to come up in the papers. The only times they had taken to actually print on them had been with multiple deaths. But Iain had suspected the government or the paper itself had tried to give them minimal attention, to keep the public from getting too worried.

“Maybe it’s for propaganda?” Iain leaned against the wall near the door, crossing his arms. “It still doesn’t make sense if what you all write passes through a rigorous editing process, but if they managed to coerce enough journalists, they could achieve something at the paper.” It still made much more sense to get a higher level worker, but then he turned to Ettie.

“But I heard they’ve made good use of the unforgivables. If they managed to control lower level journalists, they could use them to get to the higher level workers. And if it failed, they wouldn’t be blamed, the people under the curse would be.” Iain frowned, “They haven’t managed to figure out if people are or are not under the curse yet, have they?” It seemed his knowledge of curses had come in handy, if anything of what he’d said even made sense.

“You’re not safe. Not here, not at work.” Iain let out a short breath, not knowing what else to say.

Ettie put down her glass of water, and rubbed her temples as she listened to Iain's attempts to explain why this happened to her. She wasn't really listening, because she knew he had just about as much of an idea she did. However, the end of his speech made her pause in thought. The Imperius Curse. She had read about them briefly. She looked to Iain, having a small epiphany.

"My boss didn't fire me," she stated suddenly, then shook her head as he looked at her oddly. "He seemed completely indifferent that I was nearly taken by those men, didn't even ask if I was alright," she paused for a moment, then added, "Not that we're friends. I don't think he's ever asked how I was doing…" She trailed off, before walking towards Iain, now determined with where her thoughts were going.

Ettie stopped a few feet from him. "What if he was under the Imperius Curse? That could be why he was sending me to those damned bio-pieces and not the Quidditch pieces I was hired to do. I mean, I've never seen someone under the curse before, and he wasn't exactly acting like a mindless drone, but it would explain some things." She crossed her arms, once again not allowing her inner distress get the better of her. Later. She would deal with it, later. For now, she needed to stay focused.

Iain listened closely, nodding along when he needed to. When she finished, standing feet away, he narrowed his eyes in thought. “I haven’t got much experience with the curse, but from what I know it might be the case. They don’t always act mindless. If enough attention is paid, you mightn’t be able to tell the difference.” At that, he frowned again.

“Disappearing for a few days without notice and not being warned or sacked could be a sign. Not that I know the Prophet’s policies,” Iain said. She was a sport journalist, so what she said made perfect sense. “Wait, but if he’s cursed, and you went back to work, they would know that you’re back.”

“We should call the Aurors. Immediately. But we should also not stay here.” He looked around the flat once more. She’d gone to work, talked to her boss, and he’d met her during the workday - which they were probably still in. It wouldn't have been hard if someone had been keeping a lookout for her to follow her back to her apartment. Every minute they spent there was another minute they could have come back for her.

“They could have followed you from work. Or kept a charm here to tell them if you’d return.”

"Right," Ettie agreed, before rushing into her bedroom.

If they were already coming, she was at least going to grab a change of clothes and a few trinkets that belonged to her mum. She grabbed an empty bag and quietly charmed it to carry more than physically possible. She heard Iain follow her, but paid him no mind as she packed her clothing.

"I yelled at him," she started explaining again as she grabbed various items. "Honestly, if he had fired me it would have been a relief, but even after I told him to…" She trailed off smirking, despite the circumstances, then became serious once more.

"That bit isn't important. What's important is that yelling at your boss and telling him to piss off generally gets you fired. Generally, being a reporter for a newspaper shouldn't put one's life in danger, but yet here we are!" She began to rant. She closed the bag, finished packing her clothes and most treasured items.

“Ah, well, in that case you should have definitely been fired.” He nodded, faux-seriously. It wasn’t exactly the time to make jokes, but in Iain’s opinion, he didn’t need to help the situation become graver. He allowed her her space as she packed her bags hurriedly. Iain kept his fingers curled around his wand, in his pocket. They’d spent a long enough time there to be tracked. Unless the death eaters weren’t as smart as Iain was giving them credit, but he didn’t want to push it.

“Not true, maybe not always, but the Quidditch place is a dangerous place at times.” He shrugged, sure not many had died on the field, but the statistics for injuries weren’t exactly comforting.

Iain had loved Quidditch, but when it came down to playing, he’d never felt the need to. It probably made more sense that he’d been holding bets once or twice on results of games. Iain was better at watching, but it didn’t mean his game wasn’t any good. At this point, it may have deteriorated. They spent more time playing football in breaks at work, rather than Quidditch.

Ettie lightened up at his mention of quidditch, reminded of their time at Hogwarts. He didn't play, but she had. Which naturally lead to more snide remarks on her end.

"Not anymore dangerous than our current situation," she pointed out. "Well, my situation at least," she amended. She brought the bag's strap over her shoulder and crossed her arms nervously.

He almost said something, but she amended her words, and he lost his thought. He glanced down at his watch, and was surprised to find that a few hours had passed. It hadn’t felt like it. “How is it that I’ve been back almost two weeks and the only excitement I’ve had is with you?” He shook his head.

Ettie smiled a little at his remark. "I saved it all for you," she replied sarcastically.

“Probably true.” Iain gave her a quick smile, “Didn’t think anyone else could appreciate or handle it, huh?”

She smiled at him, before returning her expression of one of worry. "I suppose it's back to hotel suites for the next… however long," she muttered. "I suppose I should get to the Ministry," she announced at normal volume.

“Disapparate.” He told her. “Better than walking.” Iain took a breath, “And hope they haven’t managed to infiltrate the ministry.”

"So, I'm supposed to disapparate into the Ministry in hopes they haven't weaseled their way into that place too?" She looked skeptical, rubbing her arms idly. "Maybe running away to Norway is a better option," she offered halfheartedly.

“It would be harder, though, to get into the ministry. I wouldn’t count on it. And it’s not like they’d cause a huge scene if you arrive. No, if it’s in a more populated area they can’t exactly kidnap you.” He wasn’t sure what he was saying was very reassuring but he gave it a stab anyway.

“Norway? Norway is cold. Don’t do that to yourself.”

As Iain continued to speak, she became a little more convinced, but not nearly enough to feel confident. "Cold is better than being in the heart of this… whatever this is," she replied. She suddenly looked excited. "Or, I could go to the Caribbean. I hear it is absolutely stunning there," she said with small pleasure. Humor and diversion, a common tactic for avoiding one's real feelings, and very effective in the short term.

Iain turned again, resisting the urge to pace. It was a sign of a restless mind, but Iain wasn’t one to share the workings of his mind. “And a warmer climate yields greater trouble?” His words were meaningless as she spoke again, growing excited at the prospect of escaping to the Caribbean. He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face, despite his raised brow.

"I'll talk to the Ministry beforehand," she added, looking displeased with the notion, but admitting it had to be done.

She walked past him back into her living room and looked around. She should waste anymore time, really, but she wasn't sold on where she would go. Ministry was a fair option, but if they had the papers printing favorable articles of supposed followers of the Dark Lord she doubted there wouldn't be much of a safe haven for her there. And again, she questioned her value; they didn't capture her, but she wasn't a muggleborn or related to a well known wizard. Now she wasn't even going to be a top Prophet reporter, so any claim to fame she may have received was about to be null.

The situation with Ettie was balanced between exciting and somewhat exhausting. Or rather, frustration. It was the not understanding the situation that made it so bothersome. Even in his barely cohesive ramblings, he still couldn’t piece together a good enough reason for followers of the Dark Lord to show interest in Ettie. And he didn’t think she’d been hiding anything, but what would Iain know? Ettie had every right not to divulge her entire life to Iain after a day.

"Anyway," she exhaled, looking at Iain now. "Thank you for coming up here and everything," she said, albeit a bit awkwardly.

He crossed his arms, following her out of her room, “It’s... nothing. Don’t bother--” His words were cut short by a loud splintering sound. Although the door had been open, someone had felt the need to kick it in. Iain pulled out his wand, stepping back as he turned, closing the distance between himself and Ettie. There were two men in the flat, now, and they both had wands out, pointing to them both. Iain resisted the urge to groan.

Ettie barely had time to think as everyone in the room moved. Iain was in front of her, while to men walked towards them. She would describe it as dramatic, as they did have menacing grins plastered on their rather ugly mugs, and were eyeing both her and Iain as if they were some treat to be had. She took out her wand quickly, moving beside Iain. After all, she needed a good enough reason to exert some negative energy, this presented a perfect opportunity.

"Finally found you. Figured you show up here eventually," The taller of the two men spoke. His accent was thick, and could be described as dirty. He held up his wand casually, seemingly unafraid of her or Iain.

"Well, it is my home that you so kindly bashed up," Ettie replied with disdain. "What did you do? Charm all the muggles, then alohomora you're way in here? Brilliant tactics." The taller man sneered at her, while the other much lankier man chuckled, unimpressed. The two reminded Ettie of villains one would see in a cartoon, and nearly laughed at her misfortune. She knew aggravating them wasn't the best plan, but it was keeping them talking.

"I'd watch what you say, sweetheart," The taller man sneered, stepping closer to the pair. Ettie raised her wand as he approached, careful to take in his image. Tall, well built, and had a few scars across his face. Not a werewolf, she dismissed, Simply a man who enjoys a good fight. She eyed his accomplice, who, by all means, looked like he couldn't snap a twig but Ettie imagined that wasn't the case.

"What do you want?" Ettie asked, lifting her chin up. Get him close, then hit him. Won't expect it. Grab his wand, disarm the other. This all sounded good in her mind, but executing it would be far different. Watching movies where the good guy takes on the bad guy probably isn't the best example of how these confrontations happen in real life.

"The necklace that wasn't here when we searched," he said carefully, succeeding in sounding polite and terrifying. Ettie looked to Iain, completely confused, before returning her gaze to the man. Looking away could mean being caught off guard. She did not want that.

Iain’s initial reaction to keep Ettie away from trouble was hampered when Ettie moved beside him with her own drawn wand. Sure, she didn’t need to be protected, but that was his instinct. He didn’t know whether to scowl or commend her. At least it was evenly split, one on one, if it came down to a duel. He was hoping it wouldn’t have to, but the men kept inching closer, and their maniacal smiles didn’t bode well.

While Iain tried to figure out a proper plan, Ettie had already started speaking to them. He frowned when she managed to make the larger fellow seem even more perturbed. If her plan was to sweet talk them, it clearly wasn’t working. He didn’t think he’d help in that department, but if Ettie managed to distract them, he could probably figure some way around the situation where they both avoided actual danger.

As he thought about this, though, the larger man took a step forward and Iain straightened, his wand arm growing rigid. A thought on his sorting flitted through his mind, but it was quickly replaced with the memory of the bracelet in his pocket. As the man answered Ettie’s inquiry, he looked at Ettie questioningly, and she just stared back, surprised. Brilliant. They wanted some sort of magical necklace that Ettie had no clue about.

“Sure it’s a necklace?” Iain, relaxed his arm, looking to the taller man, trying to seem as though he knew something they didn’t. “Or could it be a bracelet?” Iain fished into his front pocket with his free hand, pulling the bracelet out, wrapped in the red scarf.

The two men looked at each other now, confused as well. Iain spoke quietly to Ettie then, “When I throw it, run.” They weren’t boxed in, the men had moved forward enough so the door was to the left of them all. It made more sense to disapparate, but Iain worried they’d catch on.

“Give that here.” The two men finally spoke, nodding to the bracelet. Iain had hoped they’d say that, “Catch.” He tossed it to the men, and waited for them to clamber before he pushed Ettie in the direction of the door.

As Iain reached into his pocket and revealed a bracelet wrapped in velvet, a number of questions popped in her head, but mostly she felt angry. That damned prick has what in his pocket? She shifted her focus to the men and Iain told her the plan. Suddenly it was throw and go and she stumbled as Iain pushed her along. She gained her foot and blotted out the door and headed for the stairs instead of the elevator.

Iain wasn’t keen on sticking around to see what would happen to the men if they made skin contact with the bracelet, and as he ran, he managed to tuck the scarf back into his pocket. As Ettie made a turn to the stairs, Iain glanced back to make sure they hadn’t been followed. He heard loud shouts, but no footsteps or shouting following them. That was a relief.

He hoped the neighbours didn’t get too bothered by the noise and want to check it out. Or call the muggle police. That’d be too much to explain, and it’d make returning that much harder. As a precaution, he tried to charm the flat from down the hall, in case it wasn’t already soundproof.

As she ran she heard the two men shout out in annoyance as she and Iain got away. She wondered what the bracelet Iain carried was, but instead of asking him, she decided the best decision was to yell at him. "So for the second time in a row, I am running away from thugs and it's probably your doing because a damned piece of jewelry?" She was seething, jumping down two stairs at a time.

Once he caught up to Ettie, she was ready to yell at him, and he took a breath. “It has nothing to do with me! I’ve no idea what they were on about. They were clearly looking for a necklace of yours.” He frowned, remembering her confusion at the mention of the necklace. “I suppose you’ve no idea what they were on about?” He made it down the flight of stairs.

Ettie pushed her hair out of her face, keeping her breath controlled as she descended the stairs as quickly as she could without tripping. Apparently choosing a flat on the 5h floor was a poor choice, at least for getaway purposes. Not that she often looked for a getaway route when renting. She would from now on, however.

Iain wasn’t much of an athlete, but these last few days with Ettie made him appreciate being in okay shape. He’d probably have been winded just from running down the flights of stairs. Ettie was in front of him, so he watched her steps as he descended. He wasn’t sure exactly what the effects of the bracelet would be. Egyptians were keen on acidic types of booby traps, so he was wondering if it was something caustic to the skin. His curiosity could have made him stick around for the effects, if he were any more reckless, but he knew it was safer and smarter to get away. And also, part of him was sickened by his action of harming the men by giving them to bracelet. He had to remind himself they would have probably done worse to them.

With Iain close behind her, she answered his question, "I have no idea what that was about." Her tone implied annoyance, but it was directed at the entirety of the situation, and not the man that was helping her escape once again.

As they neared the ground floor, Ettie looked to him. "What do we do now? I didn't expect them to be so… insistent," she asked, saying the last word carefully.

As Ettie responded, he took a breath, thinking she would carry on, annoyed with him, but she just seemed exhausted by the ongoing situation.

“Do we still go to the ministry? Figure out what they were talking about? Do you have any clue about any sort of necklace they could be on about? Maybe in your vault or something?” He was looking around, keeping a lookout for more unwelcome company.

Iain stopped on the last step, letting Ettie have the landing for her pacing, he crossed his arms, tucking the balled up fists under his arms tightly. After a minute, he managed to relax himself into loosening his arms and leaning against the bannister.

Ettie's mind was racing as she attempted to pull all the facts together. A necklace… She began to pace on the landing, cataloging her thoughts into the facts she needed; a reporter's habit she had picked up. Ettie had a fair amount of necklaces, but the only piece of jewelry she treasured was the pendant her mother gave her. It had been passed down throughout her bloodline. Wait!

Ettie stopped abruptly and brought her bag to her front to dig through it. It was a far stretch, but just maybe this is what they were after. If it was, they had something to go on. Finally grasping a soft handkerchief, she pulled it out to reveal a pendant. It looked younger than it actually was, which was due to a charm no doubt, but other than a preservation charm, it never showed any indication that it held magical properties.

As Ettie paced, he continued to keep a keen eye on their surroundings. He was growing wary of surprise very quickly. And for some reason he really just wanted to sit down in a cafe and eat waffles and drink espresso and be relaxed. Just as he was thinking this, Ettie suddenly pulled her bag open to rifle through. When she showed him a pendant, Iain just blinked.

Turning to Iain, she held out her hand to show him the pendant. "It could be this," she paused, looking at it.

“So... it really is you their after. Or, well, your pendant.” He couldn’t stop himself from saying it, much as he regretted it a moment later. She’d accused him of being the reason they were being chased twice. Though he’d been sure it wasn’t, it was nice having somewhat proof of that. “Sorry.” He shook his head, knowing he was acting foolish. “May I?” He nodded to the bracelet. It didn’t seem like the kind of jewelry that he’d have assumed to be charmed, but there wasn’t room for assumption.

At Iain's first words, she raised her eyebrows. Despite looking irked, she found his retort amusing, but the time to tease would have to wait until they were safe.

She handed over the pendant, not at all hesitant. She had gathered up enough about Iain in their brief encounters to arrive to the conclusion that he worked with artifacts. Him throwing an enchanted bracelet that the thugs was just confirmation.

Iain took the pendant gingerly, out of habit. He let it rest in the centre of his palm as he looked over the stone, noting the chain that held it. Twisted rope design, clouded stone, overall having an antique look. It didn’t look like something that would be charmed, but perhaps that was reasoning in itself.

“It isn’t typical, from what I know. It’s beautiful, yet, generally powerful charmed jewelry have rare stones and gems that are bright. A lot of cursed artifacts are like... poisonous frogs; they’re very colourful and pretty to attract you, and you don’t immediately think ‘danger’ when you look at them, leading you to touch, which then causes a myriad of problems.” He wasn’t sure his point was made, but didn’t continue.

"I have no idea why they’d be looking for this. It's never been anything more than a family heirloom," she explained.

“It might be more than that. We could find out.” He shrugged.

"How do we find out?" She asked, before hearing voices above them. She became anxious, and if she were perfectly honest, the adrenaline she was receiving from all this running made her feel empowered and afraid all at once. Fight or flight, was it called?

"Better yet," she added quickly, "Where do we go? Now?"

He lifted it then, by the clasp, letting it twirl and catch the light. It still didn’t completely make sense to him. But then again, he generally only worked with cursed artifacts, so if it were charmed in another way, he mightn’t have any idea.

“I could contact some people, maybe.” He pressed the necklace back into her hand. “I just have to find someone that knows a lot about this. And no one in particular comes to mind.” He sighed, hearing voices, and then gestured to the door. “Out, firstly, there’s a place not far from here we can talk safely.”

Ettie looked down at the pendant as he pressed into her hand, before wrapping it back up in placing it into her bag. She was thankful she had enough sense to take it with her, at the very least her mum wouldn't spend two hours lecturing her about the importance of heirlooms over the phone. Oh! She made a mental note to phone her parents as soon as she was safe. Hopefully they wouldn't be dragged into this mess.

She finally nodded to his suggestion, and the two dashed out the doors and back onto the London streets.

 


	4. Four

The two made their way down the street and Ettie had made it a point to look at everyone who passed by. She was determined not to be caught off guard again. The thugs may not be following them, but that didn't mean their associates weren't hanging about outside.

As they walked, Iain patted his pockets until he found what he was looking for. It wasn’t totally useful in England, what with all the clouds, but in that instant it was. “Sunglasses, here.” It probably wouldn’t be all that fashionable on Ettie, but they were tinted dark enough for her to see everyone while somewhat distorting what everyone else would see.

Ettie looked a little surprised at his offer of sunglasses, mostly due to the uselessness of such an accessory given the weather. However, she put them on without argument and let out a small snicker as she caught her reflection in the windows of the shops they passed. They were clearly made for a male, and looked a little large on her face.

Iain grinned as she put on the glasses, having expected to have to convince her to even put them on. He was grateful she didn’t argue, though, and even thought she looked quite adorable with them on.

“A hat would be useful too, if you’ve got one in that bag of yours.” He brushed against her side as he turned to nod at the bag on her shoulder.

"I may have a hat," she answered honestly, now smiling. She never thought she’d resort to the old sunglasses and hat trick in order to “blend in”.

“Interesting.” He mused, and she looked through her bag for the hat. There was the counter effect of her “disguise” perhaps drawing more attention, if people mistook her for someone famous, but at least they wouldn’t know it was her.

As she and Iain fell back into step, she felt it safe to ask where they were headed. "So, what's this place we're going to?"

At her question Iain looked forward again, managing not to smile broadly.

“Chai’s. It’s a little cafe. Small, tucked away, no one will think to look there. It’ll be like a pit stop.” A cafe. A cafe that served waffles.

She dug around her bag as he spoke, then she let out a delighted sigh. "Food and hot drinks sounds perfect," she said as she brought out a black sun hat. _Better than nothing_ , she thought. It wasn't too out of place, as black went with any outfit, however it wasn’t an outfit she’d usually pull together..

“And we can think of what to do next there. And talk more about the thing.” Thing being necklace. He was attempting to be a little more discreet.

"Right. _The thing_ ," she repeated back dramatically, finding his phrasing amusing. She smirked, despite the circumstances.

Again, he was surprised by her reaction, as she seemed happy to head to the cafe instead of straight to the ministry. “You’re practically unrecognizable now.” He joked, but he wasn’t all that used to seeing her as she was then, so it was different.

" _Practically unrecognizable_. Just the look I was going for today," Ettie muttered in jest for her own amusement. She reflected briefly on her life last week, and found it bitterly amusing that her life seemed so carefree. Perhaps she should have kept more aware of what was happening around her- but none of that really mattered now. She could only pay more attention to what was happening now.

The cafe was a few more blocks down than he’d thought, but soon he was holding open the door for Ettie. “Welcome to Chai’s. They specialize in... well... tea.”

The café was much like how she imagined any café would look, which made her feel safe. Someplace normal. She walked through the door Iain held open for her, shaking her head with a small grin at his words. "Truly revolutionary," she quipped.

Despite not having been in this particular shop before, she took the lead and found them a table near the back, and away from the many customers that occupied the café. She exhaled as she sat down, taking off the hat and sunglasses, and shook out her hair in a poor attempt to tame it.

Considering Chai meant tea, Iain found it almost amusing. He was mostly grateful both their teas and coffees tasted great. As Ettie’s sarcastic comments rolled off her tongue, Iain just shook his head. When she walked through the door, Iain took a moment to observe her overall state. Once she sat, Iain pulled his seat out and relaxed into it. It felt nice and normal to be at a cafe, even if Ettie wasn’t someone he’d expected to be there with.

“Say,” he managed to say before the waitress walked over. “How would you feel about a shopping trip?” He’d spin something about needing this or that. In fact, he probably would need something if he thought about it. But he was mostly thinking about Ettie and also about not wanting to leave her alone.

"Shopping trip?" Ettie quirked an eyebrow. "What exactly would we be shopping for?" She asked, sitting back in her chair casually. She was subtly attempting to relax her tense muscles, but they hummed with leftover adrenaline. Thankfully, her order of tea would soothe her mind and hopefully coax her body into relaxing.

The waitress walked over, and Iain chatted with her for a moment before holding his palms together and asking politely for his order. “A stack of waffles with strawberries on the side, please.” It wasn’t typically something they served at that hour, but he was hoping that they’d be nice. Plus, he’d been there before, they liked regulars.

Ettie couldn't help but smile at his choice of food. It wasn't necessarily an odd request, but for a reason she couldn't quite find, it seemed out of character for Iain. Perhaps it was just odd when she considered the circumstances. Choosing not to regard it any stranger than her order of sugar-filled goodness, she watched as the waitress smiled and said something about making an exception for him. When the waitress asked for her order, Ettie ordered for sugary tea and an apple pastry, desperate for some sugary fuel.

The waitress smiled and walked away, and Ettie smiled slyly at Iain. She sat up straighter, her elbows on the table as she rested her chin on her hands. "An exception, how very kind of her," she observed, amused.

“Clothes, of course,” he said, finally answering her previous question. Iain watched as the waitress moved behind the counter, passing the order on to the chef before starting on their drinks. He turned his head, raising his brows at Ettie. “You know, t-shirts and trousers and such. And maybe a nice jacket.” There, something that sounded reasonable. A good jacket would be helpful, though it was starting to warm up and Iain kept trying to remind himself he wouldn’t be staying long.

But as the days passed, he was finding it less easy to believe.

“They’re very kind here.” He shrugged at her comment. A moment later, the waitress was back with a tall mug of tea for Ettie and a smaller cup and saucer for his cappuccino.

Ettie kept her amused expression plastered on her face as the waitress approached with their drinks, and didn't bother to retract her elbows from the table as the tea was placed in front of her. The aroma of the tea overwhelmed her senses, causing her sly grin to devolve into an appreciative smile.

"Thank you," Ettie said in earnest, earning a polite smile from the waitress.

“Thank you, love.” Iain smiled as she left again. “So what say you?” He leaned forward, waiting for her to answer.

She closed her eyes, just appreciating the pleasant scent of her tea before drinking it. It was undoubtedly too hot anyway. She opened her eyes again as Iain spoke to her, not moving away as he leaned forward.

"I suppose we could. Though, I did just stuff a fair amount of my wardrobe into this bag." She nodded towards the bag in her lap. However, she could use a new hat. Sun hats weren't all that subtle this time of year.

“Wait, who said we were shopping for you?” His brows furrowed and he managed to hold the look for a little while before relaxing and letting his smile come through. “It’ll be mutually beneficial, really.” He tried his best to be convincing.

Ettie brought her hands down to the table, giving Iain an exaggerated eye-roll at his question. Then, she brought the cup to her lips to finally taste the tea she ordered. She smiled as she took small sips in between softly blowing on the liquid to cool it down. It was definitely calming her frazzled mind.

While he waited for the waffles to arrive, Iain stirred the cappuccino. There were a few packets of sugar on the side, but he added none. The bitterness would counteract the sweetness of the waffles. He hoped it would stay warm enough for him to eat, but he didn’t think it would take long.

“And afterwards you can check back into a hotel. Maybe a different one this time. Or we can go to the ministry, hope they’re completely straight, and report on everything.”

In the meanwhile, Iain would have to figure out who knew enough about charmed jewelry, and not cursed artifacts. His immediate group of coworkers probably wouldn’t work, as they were in the same place as he was. No, he would have to ask about for the proper person. But he’d get to the hospital before then.

He was wrapped in his thoughts when the waitress returned with his waffles.

She brought the cup back to the table, but kept her hands around it. "I do need a less conspicuous hat," she offered as the waitress arrived once more with their food. Ettie eyed her apple pastry with hunger and quickly replaced the cup in her hands with a fork.

The smell distracted him from his thoughts, and though the waitress was walking away, Iain managed a wave and smile combination to make up for his lack of words. As Ettie took up her fork, Iain picked up a knife and started cutting his waffle into pieces to eat. “Then a hat we shall buy. After the tee’s, of course. They are super important.” Then he thought of Thad, trying to remember things he would need if -- no, when -- he woke up.

He put down his knife for a second, rubbing his face roughly, and then took a sip of his cappuccino as he looked up to Ettie.

After the waitress left, Ettie began speaking again. "However, I don't think I'll be going to the Ministry," she began in a hushed tone. "If they've infiltrated the Prophet, I'm not taking any chances by walking straight into the lion's den."

“Good choice.” He would have said the same thing, but he wouldn’t assume anything with Ettie. It was good that they were in agreement about almost everything, at that point.

Ettie savored every bite of her pastry, immediately feeling better as she continued to replenish her energy. It also helped that her choice of food was simply delicious. She finished it quickly, as it was a small pastry, but it had hit the spot. Ettie turned her attention to the café, taking in the faces of the other customers, but thinking of her situation as he did so.

“I’ll have to make contact with a few people, ask for the best person to figure out what the necklace is, aside from an heirloom,” Iain explained. He picked up his fork then, and took a bite of his waffle. In an instant, he was happy again, chewing slowly, taking in the flavours. It was delicious. The perfect choice for the afternoon. “You have no idea how badly I wanted that...” He muttered.

Iain continued to speak as she observed the patrons, but her attention was brought back to him as she heard him mutter something about his food. "I don't think I've ever been out with a person so desperate for waffles," she teased, taking a sip of her tea.

Iain took another few bites, somehow managing to get through a good quarter before needing to take a sip. He wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin before calling for a bottle of water. “Waffles are great, though. Especially when they’re stuffed with chocolate and strawberries.” He took another sip of his coffee. “Try it if you don’t believe me.” He gestured to the plate.

Ettie smiled at his offer, but shook her head. "I'm not one to take food from a hungry man. Never bodes well." Their conversation seemed so casual. It conflicted with the other thoughts that were swimming around in her head, but was not unwelcome.

Iain was about to insist, point being the sheer size of the waffle, but he didn’t. It was odd. Years ago they’d simply interacted through quips and jabs, not seeking each other out, not friends, but not enemies. Yet, now they were together, and naturally they’d started with witty remarks and playful banter, but they were closer to something resembling friendship than what they’d had before.

Being chased and attacked really brought people together.

"Why do you need to go shopping for clothes anyway? Or does your sparse flat also lack a wardrobe?" Ettie asked, that playful tone flowing into her speech with ease. Naturally, curiosity was overruled by the opportunity to tease..

At her question, he took a breath and stayed quiet for a moment before speaking.

“I mostly have clothes for warm weather. I lack proper clothes to suit the English weather. And yes, my wardrobe is severely lacking.” He rolled his eyes, though it was probably true. He avoided clothes shopping, so it made sense that he didn’t have as much as he once did. And that they weren’t all in pristine condition.

He had left behind a large amount of clothing where they’d been on assignment, and he knew lots of Thad’s things were still there as well, if not thrown out. Another of their team had managed to pack and send boxes of everyone’s things, but not all. And Thad hadn’t been able, clearly, to get anymore himself.

“And also, a friend needs some things. It’ll be good if I pick them up for him as soon as I can.”

She stirred her tea around with a spoon idly as he explained his want for shopping. She took another sip, and made a small look of distaste. It had cooled as they spoke. Room temperature tea was not among Ettie's favorite things. Though, she couldn't think of any person that would enjoy lukewarm tea. She set the cup down, pushing it towards her empty plate.

Iain finished the rest of his waffle quietly, letting the thoughts in his head take his attention. It was quite nice, the momentary peacefulness they’d come upon.

"How kind of you," she said sincerely, "It seems you gained a knack for helping people, rather than annoy the mickey out of them." She feigned surprise, but smiled to assure her good intent.

“I’ve always been kind to my friends.” He smiled, shaking his head. “But irking people is so much more enjoyable.” He wiped his hands on a towel, just as a paper plane flew in and hovered over his shoulder. Iain plucked it out of the air, frowning as he read what was written in the folds of the paper.

Ettie didn't visibly react when the letter appeared, though she did look around wondering how the people around them didn't see the paper fly in. Even if they had, Ettie imagined they probably couldn’t make a fuss about it. Discretion was the Post’s goal when it came to magical deliveries.

“Maybe we can take a raincheck on that shopping trip. I have to go.” Iain didn’t take his eyes off the paper, but stood and collected his jacket from the chair.

She watched Iain's face change as he read the letter; he looked even more tired than before, but it wasn't a tired that had to do with sleep. When he suddenly stood, she narrowed her eyes in worried frustration.

"What happened?" She asked, but felt the words were inappropriate on her tongue. What business was it of hers?

Iain looked at the table, and then to Ettie, sighing deeply. It was nice, the up and down, how everything could be okay one minute and awful the next and overwhelmingly confusing all throughout. He rubbed the circle under his eye, trying to figure how to answer her question.

“It’s Mungo’s, there’s a problem... my mate.” He couldn’t articulate exactly what he needed to say, but frowned deeper at the wasted time.

“I’ll explain when we get there.” He finally said, thinking it might be better if someone was with him. He was better at being composed when there were people about. After a moment of hesitation, Iain pulled out a stack of bills from his pocket and tossed it on the table, not bothering to count it. He walked out of the shop quickly after that.

Ettie quickly rose, grabbing her bag and hat as she followed Iain hastily out the door. She stuffed the hat back on her head messily, focusing on their destination. She felt lucky she wasn't so easily jarred by the quick downward spiral life could make, though she silently made the joke that perhaps therapy would be a much needed exercise when this was all said and done. That is, if she- they came up with a conclusion that ended with no injuries or death. She meant it in jest, but death wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Shaking her head, Ettie focused directly on the path in front of her feet. "I imagine the letter didn't bring good news," she said carefully.

Iain’s brows met in the middle, the frown stretched from the creases in his forehead to the rigid clench of his jaw. He walked fast, trying to find a proper location to disapparate, where there weren’t many people. They weren’t close enough to Mungo’s to walk and get there hastily. Iain took a turn into a back street, and then an alleyway.

It was then he spoke to Ettie. “He stopped breathing.” A comatose patient that stops breathing would mean his brain stopped sending signals to his lungs to keep going. He wondered if he was shutting down completely, but shook the thought from his head. Thad wasn’t one to give up, not on anything. It was so surreal to be rushing to see him like this.

He thought it should have been reversed. Iain in the coma, Thad living his life.

Ettie's expression remained somber when Iain replied. She bitterly thought perhaps she ought not to enjoy herself too much anymore, because each time she did something grave tended to happen. Not that this particular situation had anything to do with her.

Once they reached an empty area, Iain took Ettie’s hand, “Ready?” He waited only a second, and then they disapparated.

She gripped Iain's hand with equal pressure as they disapparated. With her other hand, she held onto her bag tightly, almost worried that it would fly out of the magic. With their luck, it wasn't all that impossible. However, they landed without incident. Ettie looked up to the hospital and felt a strong sense of sorrow. Not much happiness was met here of late.

Family. That was what he was. Thad was Iain’s family, and Iain Thad’s. He didn’t think about it much. About how they existed as each other’s surrogate families. They’d become more like brothers than friends, more like blood. Iain occasionally managed to speak to his mother, but not often. Once a year, at best. Thad, though, Thad didn’t speak much about his family at all. Iain didn’t know much beyond the fact that no one was there, visiting him, and he was hurt and he was lost but no one else but Iain was there.

He hadn’t intended to end their meeting so twisted up. He’d wanted to let Ettie be happy. Roam around shopping and choosing hats and not stressing over murderous henchmen following her footsteps. He was thinking of Ettie, and he’d forgotten about his own troubles.

Meetings, trainings, visits to Mungos... He’d found a comfort in being around Ettie, his world was spinning, hers seemed solid. Until it wasn’t. And that made it even better, somehow.

"Never was fond of hospitals. Even muggle hospitals," she muttered half-heartedly.

“I don’t like them either.” He replied, turning through the door and walking through the halls. They had to go up, take the elevator to the proper floor. “Particularly right now.”

Ettie followed Iain, glancing around at the supposed family members waiting in the lobby. A dark part of her wondered if their loved ones were dying too. When she was younger, she had been amazed at the power of magic, despite her father being a wizard. It could do anything! But yet, it was not always able to save lives. Some small price to pay for having such wonder, she concluded.

Thankfully, the elevator wasn't slow, and they were taken to the floor where Iain's friend was situated. She watched Iain carefully, trying to discern his emotions. Clearly worried, clearly tired. She wondered if he was sleeping, as she had rarely slept peacefully after being attacked. He had an ill friend, then was chased around by Death Eaters. She wasn't sure how she'd manage if her mother or father were ill when she was also being sought after.

The elevator released them, and Iain walked straight forward again, this time not ushering Ettie on. He’d crossed his arms, but they fell to his side as he marched forward and found the nurse at the door. There was a team of nurses around Thad, mainly waiting for a word on what to do. There was only one healer that he could discern, though. For some reason, that irked him.

Ettie lingered near the door, feeling as though she was intruding. She rubbed her arm anxiously as she watched the healers speak with Iain.

The healer spoke to Iain quietly, and a second later he was crossing his arms once more, and then his hand was rubbing his jaw. “And what would happen if he didn’t?” His question seemed to barely fall from his mouth, yet she heard him clearly enough. She sighed as she continued to speak, but now Iain was looking at Thad. The nurses were moving about quietly. One was monitoring a machine, the other simply standing beside Thad, and another was copying something onto a chart.

Now, Iain had a decision to make. An immediate decision apparently. Something he couldn’t sit and dwell on. What did Iain know about medicine? Or survival? He chewed his lip, and turned back to look at Ettie.

Oh, he was mixed up for sure.

“Just...” he closed his eyes and shook his head, the nurse waiting. “Take off the support.”

Ettie placed her hand over her mouth in an attempt to cover her gasp. She understood that they reason they needed to rush over was due to something going awry, but this was very serious. She wasn't sure what to do, especially when Iain looked over at her. She tried to look comforting, but was sure she came off as disconsolate as she was feeling.

Once he gave his answer, she slowly walked near Iain, looking over his friend. She was met with another familiar face, that of Thad Everard. Her chest felt heavy, and she selfishly wished that she didn’t follow Iain here. She also realized that Iain’s reaction back at the cafè could have only been for Thad. How could she have forgotten about him? The two were thick as thieves when they were growing up.

Iain could hear the movement around him, feel that the nurse beside him hadn’t moved herself, but was telling others what to do. There was movement at the door, as equipment was pushed out and people moved back and forth. He didn’t want to open his eyes just yet. He didn’t want to think just yet.

He could hear the pen still scratching at the paper, but tried not to think about what that meant. It could have been final notes. It could have been consistent monitoring, Thad was still going on and the nurse didn’t have any pause. Thinking, hoping, being frightened, it didn’t help.

Iain thought this was the most terrified he’d ever been in his entire life.

And that was when he opened his eyes. When he realized nothing in his life had scared him as much as the thought of losing Thad did. Ettie had moved beside him, and Iain couldn’t figure exactly what his thoughts were at that moment. But his hand relaxed from being crossed, and he reached for her hand. She looked more shocked than he say, and he was almost sorry he’d dragged her along.

The nurses carefully took away bits of machine and the magic that was sustaining Thad. He didn't move at first, appearing to be dead weight as the nurse lifted an arm to take away some monitoring device of some sort. Ettie idly wondered why muggle like machines were needed, but could not make a proper guess.

The final machines sustaining Thad were removed, and there were only monitors now. Iain didn’t know what was supposed to happen, but from what the nurse had said, he’d been expecting something else. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and he looked at the nurse. She seemed almost surprised as well, muttering something about flukes or mistakes, but it was almost incomprehensible.

Thad lay still for a moment, and Iain took a deep breath, and Thad gasped. “Merlin--” He was cut off by the movement of the nurse beside him hurrying to get to Thad.

Thad look a deep, violent sounding breath. His lungs spasmed for a moment, adjusting to the intake of air that was inhaled of his own accord. His hands were gripping the blanket that lay over him, but slowly released as his breathing returned to a rhythmic pattern. He hadn't woken during the ordeal, though his body did move as though he was dreaming. After a moment, he lay motionless, still breathing.

Ettie's hand had gone back over her mouth, having gasped herself when Thad gasped for air.

The nurse turned to them and announced Thad was fine, outside of still being in a coma. Though, they had very high hopes since he responded so outwardly to being taken off the ventilator. Ettie smiled, letting out a loud sigh of relief, to ease the tension. She gave Iain's hand a small squeeze of encouragement, looking to him.

At one time Ettie probably would have been amused at the idea of comforting Iain O'Callahan, holding hands with him, attempting to ease some of what his was feeling, but currently she felt as though she wasn't able to help enough. This wasn't about how they were as children. She watched as the nurse checked Thad's vitals, and caught the nurse smiling in relief. Ettie was pleasantly surprised at the nurse's break of emotion, especially after seeing how stone faced they were when she and Iain arrived.

It said something of his state of mind that he had taken Ettie’s hand. Iain wasn’t typically someone that displayed his emotions to the world, never an open book. Sure, you could know him, but never much, or never more than he wanted you to. In that moment, though, he wasn’t guarded and armoured up.

He couldn’t focus on any one thing. Time was moving fast, or everything else was happening faster than it should have been. It never seemed like hospitals kept the same time as the outside world. A minute was forever, a second meant the entire world. Measurements were so skewed through these doors.

But the nurse turned, spoke to them, and Iain managed to clear through some of his thoughts to process what she said. “Oh.” He was struck dumb for a minute. Ettie squeezed his hand, though, and he looked at her gratefully. “Thank you... for coming with me.” And for offering me this, taking my hand. She’d helped him by that. He released her hand, then, and had to talk to the nurse about a few more details before returning to Ettie. “And now we’re being ushered out.”

Ettie smiled reassuringly at Iain before he let go of her hand and went to speak with the nurses. She looked around the hospital room, and lifted an eyebrow. Mungo’s had the same dreary design that any hospital would have. Perhaps the only difference was the plants that were clearly of magical property, but most everything else spoke of muggle standard design. It irked her more than she thought it would. She crossed her arms, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder just as Iain turned back to her.

"Awfully quick visit," Ettie joked, turning on her heeled boot and leaving the room with Iain. "Now, are there any other people we should be worried about in here?" She asked lightly. "I'm not up for another surprise."

He offered a small smile at her question, “Ah, no, fortunately. Everyone else on the team was discharged weeks ago.” He raised his hands as he shrugged.

Iain slowed his pace as he walked back to the elevators. He wondered if he hadn’t been with Ettie if he’d have stayed. “We could stay, of course, but it won’t be as... eventful as the last few minutes...” He paused, but shook his head and continued, “Have been.” Minutes passed like hours, as he’d said. He’d probably aged a day too.

“But we’ve both admitted to hating hospitals and we can’t help with the tests by just sitting around. Might as well get something done!” He tried to sound enthused, but he didn’t think it worked out as well as he hoped.

His tone of false eagerness did not escape her ears, however she doubted he wanted to linger just to watch all the tests they would do to Thad. It was nearly as depressing as the wall color. Which happened to be a shade of dull brown.

Ettie pressed the the button to call the elevator repeatedly, a habit picked up from childhood. One that annoyed her mother to bits. She gave an exaggerated sigh of relief to Iain's words. "What a relief," she said just as the elevator doors opened.

“Isn’t it just?” He asked rhetorically, leaning back against the mirrored wall of the mirror. His arms made their way back to their comfortable crossed position. He still had too many stray thought in his mind that he needed to work through, now.

"What is this "something" we're getting done? Shopping?" She asked, as she leaned casually on one side of the elevator. She toyed with her hat, which had stayed on her head that entire time. Thinking back, she must have looked pretty silly, which was probably a good thing given the tension in that room.

“Shopping, yes, but I figured we could head to the owlery to send out a few message about the necklace.” And then, “Vague inquiries, more like. I don’t think actually mentioning the necklace is necessary.” He was making a list, now, of the people in the general area that would be of help or know someone of use. It was short. There were more people that knew about it, but they weren’t close by, and Iain wanted quick responses.

And then he’d fix up his flat.

Ettie nodded slowly, taking his sunglasses out of her bag and putting them on. "Vague inquiries would be best. Though I doubt anyone can track me down anymore, since I don't actually have a flat anymore," she said optimistically. She had not thought of the possibility of being partially free from their clutches. Perhaps it would take more work, but there wasn't a place the Death Eaters would be waiting for her. At least, not a place many would know where she'd be.

The elevator doors opened to the ground floor, so she and Iain walked out towards the main doors of the hospital. "So, where do we start?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips, looking out towards the street.

Iain turned to look at Ettie, just as she stuck the sunglasses on her face. It loosened him up, and he managed to relax his arms a bit. She didn’t look so ridiculous, but he doubted many women could pull off a man’s sunglasses, and with such flare. The elevators opened and he stepped out behind Ettie, already thinking what she was asking.

“Up to you. Both equally important. Get clothes or send owls?” It would be easier, probably, to shop quickly and then get to the public owlery, but sending out the owls might be a little more important, despite what he’d said.

He didn’t want to make everything as intense and important as it had been moments ago, though, so he tried to seem calmer.

Ettie looked around as she considered the options. Ultimately it came down to one factor: Which seemed more fun? The answer, naturally, was shopping. She had decided that both she and Iain needed some fun, especially after a day like today.

Bringing her eyes back to her companion,  she answered, "Clothing first, owls last." Then joked, "Not like we’re on a time limit of when those owls need to be sent out." Her playful demeanor had returned, disguising any outward signs of weariness.

“Ah, good, it’ll give me time to work out exactly what to ask people.” And narrow and think over the list of who he could send it to. Iain already had a short list of people he believed he could trust, but this wasn’t simply him, this was Ettie. The list was getting shorter every time he thought about it.

He wondered about how Ettie felt, having to now find a temporary place to live. She was independent, yes, but he didn’t know how she managed change that drastic. Or watching her flat ransacked and then closed off from her return. While his flat wasn’t “home” to him, he still wouldn’t like his privacy invaded and his things broken and disturbed.

"Now, do you only shop in one store, like some of the men I know, or can we walk into any and find what we need?" She asked, thinking back to some of her coworkers, who dressed almost too well for their job. Their suits purchased from the same store, and for the highest price. Pricks. Not that she imagined Iain to shop as such.

“I can go anywhere, multiple, if necessary. Do you have any shop in mind? I’m not so familiar with where to find good clothing stores.”

At Iain's question, she nodded towards a direction and began to lead them back towards the main roads of London. "There are a couple of shops on the main strip that will suffice. Lucky for you, I know my way around the clothing shops of London." She gave a smug grin, thinking of all visits she made, often with her friends that work in the Sports section with her. Other than the time spent at Prophet headquarters, the shopping had been the only fun outings she had with her co-workers. Most conversations were about which of the quidditch players they wanted to bag, if only for one night. Most had a tally going, but Ettie never divulged any information.

“Wonderful.” He couldn’t help but smile, and she seemed happier, which eased his mind. He was thinking he shouldn’t have dragged Ettie along to Mungos. It was selfish, but she helped. Iain couldn’t read minds, though, and she didn’t seem like it had traumatized her. He followed along, not doubting that she had knowledge of where to find proper clothing shops.

"So, what are we looking out for? Travel gear, casual wear, formal wear? If I recall, you never were one for ties," she smirked, eyeing him up and down while they walked.

He shook his head, “Not travel, no, think I’m stuck here for a while. But I somehow don’t have as many t-shirts as I should. And jumpers would be helpful with the weather, though it’s warming up.” He bit his lip, but couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “No need for ties.” That, he was grateful for. “If there’s separate shops, though, you can find yours first. I’m in no rush. And I could live without it.”

Ettie gave him a look of slight frustration. "Do you not recall me stuffing half my wardrobe into this bag?" She lifted it in emphasis.

“Yes, but--” He was cut short by Ettie’s stream, and then stayed quiet as she finished.

"Don't fuss over me, there's no need. We'll get clothes for you and Thad." It wasn't untrue, she had stuffed a fair amount of her favorite pieces of clothing and footwear in her bag. Though of course, she was going to pick up a few things while they were out. She just wanted to focus on helping someone else.

“That’s fine as well.” He nodded. Thad won out over them both, considering his lack of luggage and the current state everything was in in regards to Thad. Iain would buy the man a rainbow at that point, but he’d settle for clothes and other things the flat needed to be more home-like.

They approached the main street, which was overflowing with shoppers, businessmen, and students walking everywhere. Ettie loved it. It was the perfect invisibility cloak.

"This way," she announced, darting towards the first shop on the sidewalk next to them.

As they turned into the street, Iain glanced over at the appearance of Ettie. Still had the glasses on, the hat pulled low, but it was almost unnecessary on the street, which was helpful. It’d be less taxing being in such a crowded area, but Iain made sure he checked their surroundings anyway.

“Do you shop for men’s clothes often?” He furrowed his brows, looking about them.

Ettie dodged each passerby with ease, having danced with rush hour waltz a few times herself. Once at the shop, she opened the door and gestured for Iain to go inside.

"Depends on what you call often," she replied with faint amusement. "I've had the opportunity to accompany a few men to the shops." Most of which were quidditch players who needed wardrobe for their photo shoots with the Prophet. Enjoyable and revealing, though most sessions ended with Ettie ready to strangle them. Yet despite the popular quidditch players being so… intellectually boring, for lack of a better term, Ettie still enjoyed the sport.

“Oh?” Iain raised one brow this time, actually faintly surprised, and walked into the shop. “Thank you,” he nodded to Ettie. “See, I hadn’t anticipated the accompaniment when I guessed shopping for men. I assumed it was solo.” It was then, he thought, it might have been for work. And that set him at ease again, though he hadn’t known he’d tensed up.

She browsed the racks idly, pausing every so often at color shade she enjoyed. She did enjoy men's jumpers; they were usually the comfiest to sleep in. She had discovered this upon her last relationship, and took it upon herself to buy herself some men's jumpers for that very reason.

“How about we split up for about five minutes so I could find some tees and things for Thad, and you find me some jumpers?” He wasn’t shy, really, just thinking about the time. And giving her a moment alone to breathe. It must be taxing to be around him all day.

Ettie was a little surprised at his request, expecting Iain to do his own shopping, but took the opportunity. "If you think you can trust me," she said slyly, though she had no plans to cause any mischief. Turning back to the rack, she looked upon the jumpers with a new perspective, attempting gage which would fit Iain, both literally and figuratively. She ended up choosing contrasting dark shades, both warm and cool. The dark forest green was her favorite of the two. Not that her opinion was of any consequence.

Iain shook his head and let out a breath as he walked away, still smiling. He found his way to the shorts and trousers section, picking up a few things he thought Thad would wear. He didn’t think getting many would be necessary. Thad would be able to go out on his own, but Iain wanted him to have things available for when he got out of the hospital.

Seeing that Iain was still occupied with getting clothing for Thad, she disappeared off to the dressing rooms to changed out of her 3 day old clothing. It was about time, she thought to herself. She chose a simple outfit of trousers and her own jumper, wanting nothing more than to be comfortable. With comfort in mind, she also changed out of her boots into comfortable sneakers. She hadn't worn them in months; it felt nice albeit strange. With a sigh of content, she stuffed her discarded clothing into her bottomless bag and looked at her reflection. Not bad.

She returned to the main area of the shop, hoping the cashier would be none the wiser. She held the few jumpers she had picked out for Iain and stood near the cashier, appreciating her own color choice in the jumpers.

Iain folded the clothes and held them in his hands and moved on to tee’s. He gathered a bunch of plain white t’s and added them to the pile. He was smaller than Thad, but they generally fit the same sizes. Both of them could use them. Finally, Iain picked up a few more things before heading back to where he thought he left Ettie. Instead, he found her at the cashier, and he dropped the rest of the items on the counter too.

“Oh, green, nice choice.” He grinned. The cashier rang up the charges and he pulled out his wallet. “Ah, you look dashing.” He noticed her change of clothes. “Ready for your round, now?”

Ettie gave a reserved, though pleased smile at Iain's words, feeling proud that she chose a color he liked. The cashier, Ettie noticed, did suddenly look to Ettie when Iain brought up her attire. Definitely looked confused, probably torn between thinking that Ettie must be another woman, or asking is she stole those clothes from the store. Lucky for Ettie she had chosen clothing that resembled little of what this shop offered.

"Dashing, here meaning lazy yet comfortable?" Ettie asked, raising an eyebrow as the cashier finished bagging their clothes.

“Dashing meaning you look good. Comfortable suits you.” He spoke slowly, treading lightly. He was reminded of a date that mistook his compliments for jabs. if he’d been lesser of a human he’d have dashed on her.

Once the bags were filled, Ettie grabbed one and headed for the door. "My round shall be just as quick, if not faster," she taunted. "I only need a hat, and perhaps a dress. With the kind of life I've living now, one should always be prepared."

Iain barely paid the cashier mind, aside from a smile as he gave her what he owed. They were moving away quickly enough. He was distracted, but that was understandable. He’d had a longing, then, for music. Music and wine. It was such an odd feeling, Iain had to physically shake himself out of it.

As she moved, Iain thought of adding sunglasses, but he liked seeing her with something of his. It was nice, and since it didn’t seem silly on her, he decided not to mention it. He made a note to find the biggest sunhat he could for her. “Words of wisdom.” He nodded, following her out the door, back into the bustling crowd. The light was starting to wane, now.

"Come on, then," she ordered theatrically, making her way down the street towards one of her favorite shops. Her voice in that moment made Ettie think of her years at Hogwarts. Smirking, she reflected on how bossy she had been to her teammates and those she didn't get along with. Quite fun, ordering people about. Perhaps that's also why she enjoyed the photo shoots with the quidditch players. Ordering the sods about, making them pose awkwardly, oh how her editor would cringe.

“Yes, as you please.” Iain followed along jovially enough. He was reminded of schooldays, but kept the comment on his tongue from rolling out. A second later, Ettie was in the shop, and he made a move for the door, only to have it pushed back by Ettie. “Thanks, again.” Now she was playing the chivalrous one. Iain walked into the store, looking around for the hats.

They arrived at the shop quickly, it being only 20 or so feet from the first shop. Ettie entered, almost forgetting to keep the door open for Iain, but doubled back to do so. She took off the sunglasses, hooking them onto the collar of her jumper, then took off her hat and stuffed it in her bag. "As honored as I was that you trusted me to pick out your jumper, I don't quite trust you in picking out a dress. No offense," she said, grinning at the thought of him doing so.

“Shucks, and here I was looking forward to finding you a stunning dress.” He tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of his mouth mutinied against him. “We could have matched too, green and green.” He moved about, locating the hats and then looking around to see if the saleswomen were about. He then turned and placed a large weaved sunhat on Ettie’s head and a weaved fedora on his own head.

“Hmm, I think it suits you.”

Ettie reached up after the sun hat was plopped on her head, fixing it atop her head. "You managed to find an even more conspicuous hat than I already own. This one practically screams look at me." She tilted the hat, giving it a more fanciful wave, akin to hats that are worn at fancy parties.

“Yes, but in a good way.” Iain passed over a few more. Hats. He’d forgotten England’s love for all hats, big and gaudy and silly. With the occasional simple, normal, and nice hat thrown about.

She looked at Iain, observing his hat with narrow, and amused eyes. "No ties, but a fedora? What kind of man are you?" She asked in false outrage, set on keeping a straight face.

“Ties require actual work.” Sure, he knew how to tie a tie, but he liked not having to. Iain’s casual style was a statement in itself. He constantly “had the means” for many things, but refrained from it happily. “And the man that keeps that question coming.” He grinned happily.

Iain swapped out the weaved fedora for a twill fedora. He’d never really looked that great in hats, and as a result, didn’t own any. He didn’t think the fedora would suit him, anyway. Ettie walked over to the dresses and he dropped the hat back onto the table before making his way to the cashier. He leaned back, intending to wait for her to try it or browse through more dresses, but she made her way over just a few minutes after him.

Ettie turned away swiftly, and walked towards racks that held the dresses, letting a small smile play out. She certainly felt that they accomplished the fun part of the day. She felt lighter already. She touched the fabrics, thinking of what is was she wanted. Deciding to go for simple, and perhaps deadly, she chose a black sleeveless dress, one that could be used in case she had to go breaking into any party. She had to as a reporter, why not as a fugitive?

She felt no need to try it on, and simply walked up to the cashier and paid for the dress and hat. It almost felt silly, but in a weird way normal. These were definitely not necessities. Still, she felt fine buying them. "Perhaps one of the fastest check outs to date," she announced to Iain holding up the bag that held her dress. That hat stayed on her head.

“Strangely so. You sure you don’t want anything else? Or to take a look around?”

She shrugged at his question. "I don't require anything else, really," she explained. "Just another big hat, and an espionage dress. Pretty sure I'm set for my life on the run." She jested, but she was beginning to worry over how that would all mull over. She would make due, having money saved, but eventually she would run out seeing as her job at the Prophet was kaput.

“We'll figure it out. Life on the run will be a temporary thing. Not that you couldn’t make it work.” Wit could get you anywhere, and that, Ettie had. He knew even if he wasn’t around it would get figured out. He was just hoping he’d be able to contribute at all.

"Off to the post, then?" She asked, taking off the hat and placing in the bag with her dress, so she could shake out her hair with her hand. She never did like how stiff her hair got after wearing a hat all day. One of the reasons she wasn't too fond of winter; those beanies flattened her hair like a pancake.

At her question, he shook his head. “Quick stop at the ice cream parlour before we send those owls.”

He detoured, making his way to the shop he’d noticed when they’d walked to the second shop. It was small, but local, small businesses made Iain happier than franchises.

“What will you have?” He asked Ettie, holding the door open for her.

Ettie was pleasantly surprised at the idea of ice cream. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had some in a cone. Something she was definitely going to remedy. She walked inside, knowing right away what she wanted. "Orange sherbet in a waffle cone," she said with a smile. She could nearly taste it already.

The shop itself was small, but it was cozy. Quite like what you expect an ice cream parlour to be. Thinking back, Ettie wasn't sure she ever saw this place before. Clearly she was too focused on work to ever pay attention.

She turned her head towards Iain. "And what are you having?" In all honesty, she wasn't able to guess. Which she found both irritating and gratifying. Both odd reactions either way you spun it.

Iain walked forward to survey his options, he had favourites, but he liked trying different things. They had waffle cones, which made him happy. At least between a cup, cone, and waffle cone, the latter would win every time. Ettie’s immediate order was already being taken down, and he blinked. They had a lot of options, the classics, and then specials, and create your own, and so on. He rubbed his jaw while he thought.

“Could I have a scoop of cookie dough over a scoop of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone?” He’d opted for a favourite and a classic in one. While they were being scooped, Iain moved to the register to pay, and then the cones were handed to himself and Ettie.

They made their way back out to the street, “The time for owls has come. I think I’ve figured out the proper people to ask for referrals.”

Ettie licked her ice cream gleefully, tilting her head to keep it from dripping off the cone she held. It was better than she remembered.

"And who will be be asking for help?" She asked curious. Her pace was relaxed, and her attention was on the people who brushed past them on their way home. Ettie felt a small pang of jealously, but let it pass over without dwelling over it. Priorities. They were one step closer, literally and figuratively, to figuring out this whole mess.

Iain stashed a handful of napkins in his jacket pocket, hoping it wouldn’t spill, but preparing nonetheless. They walked at a leisurely pace, but Iain didn’t exactly know where the closest public owlery was, so he was relying on Ettie to get them there.

“A few people I work with. They’re quiet, mostly stick to themselves in their work so there’s less of a chance of word spreading. It’s more of a referral for a referral. I don’t work with people that deal with charmed heirlooms, so I’m asking around. The goblins would be no help, though they’d be interested, especially if it’s a rare stone. There’s people that might be of help, but they’re not worth trusting.” He shrugged. “So I know... three people that I think are worth asking.”

Ettie had the sense not to look too put off by the number of referrals Iain had, but she did look a little worried. Not that she could have managed any better, nor would she have expected him to know those three. Her lack of facts about her situation frustrated the writer in her, not that it wasn't already clear how frustrated she was with the whole mess.

"Well, let's hope those three know their charmed heirlooms," she said. She picked up the pace then, walking a little faster to get them to the nearest owlery.

Iain glanced over to Ettie as he spoke, and shook his head. “Oh ye of little faith. It’s going to work.” He hoped, and was put stock into it. There was bound to be something that knew someone that had knowledge of charmed jewellry. It was an interesting enough field, and it wasn’t too far off from what Iain himself was involved in. He only hoped that said person was around and helpful.

But even if they weren’t initially cordial and helpful, Iain was sure they’d get past it.

The owlery was nestled in an abandoned flat behind the main shops. Upon entering, Ettie was thankful that the place was charmed so the smell of owl droppings wasn't at all potent. However, this change of scenery did not deter her from eating the rest of her ice cream.

Iain heard a soft crackle in the sky as they entered. “Hm, promising.” He moved past Ettie in order to get to the quills and was able to pen three messages and get the fee handled by the keeper behind the counter. He made his way to the owls and gave them the messages. By the time Iain was back in the front, there seemed to be a small drizzle starting.

She finished off her ice cream, licking her fingers before throwing her napkin away. She noted the change in weather, and almost welcomed it; She was fond of rain but the thunder always unnerved her.

“I suppose now’s just the waiting phase. It might take a few hours or days, depending. I can’t say.”

"This waiting gives us ample time to stay off the radar, I suppose. I need to find a new place to stay anyway," she said. The place would probably be a hotel again. It was a perfect way of going undetected, plus room service was always a bonus. She started for the door, her plan set out in her mind.

"Just owl me when you find out anything," She said as she held open the main door of the owlery. Her next move, once in her hotel, was for her to owl her mum and dad to see how they were doing. Once assured they were fine, she would kept her outward messages to a minimum.

Iain fished out a napkin from his pocket and rubbed his hands before balling it up and tossing it in the bin. The ice cream had been good, much like the rest of the afternoon. There’d been a small effort, he thought, on both of their parts, to keep it light. They each had reasons to want to.

“Mm, yes, that’s important.” It’d probably be more useful to find a flat or something to stay in instead of a hotel, but it wasn’t as easy. “Just try not to get spotted and it’ll be fine.” What with hats and sunglasses, and with the weather, raised collars. She’d be fine.

“If it’s a useful message, yes, I’ll owl you. Stay safe.” He tapped the brim of her hat as he walked past, making his way back to Mungo’s, and Ettie turned to walk the other way.

 


End file.
